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Volume 56, Issue 26 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Observer celebrates 55th anniversary
MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
Undergraduate student journalists reminisce on years at Observer leading to professional careers By ALYSA GUFFEY and BELLA LAUFENBERG Notre Dame News Editor, Staff Writer
In honor of the 55th anniversary of the student newspaper’s first issue, The Observer interviewed five former student journalists who work in the industry to talk about their experiences working as writers and editors in college and beyond. Pete Loftus, Class of 1992
Pete Loftus always loved to write. He became a writer for The Observer his first year of college. “I think my freshman year, I may have only written one or two stories, and would just take whatever assignments kind of came my way, and then just the more I got into it, the more I liked it,” Loftus said. He then became an assistant news editor his sophomore year and maintained this position through his senior year.
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“I just liked the idea of being the one to go out and find a story and do all the reporting and interviewing for it and then to try to distill all that information to something that people might want to read,” Loftus said. While an undergraduate, Loftus recalled covering the sexual assault case made against Fr. James Burtchaell, who was a professor at the time of the allegations. In addition, he wrote stories covering LGBTQ+ students working to gain recognition for a student group at the University. “I don’t think any big changes happened while I was covering that issue, but it was some of the early efforts to try to change the situation,” Loftus said. After graduating from Notre Dame in 1992, Loftus went straight into the journalism field and began working at community papers in Philadelphia, focusing mainly on courts and murder trials. Then, he decided to move to New see JOURNALISTS PAGE 5
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
Former Saint Mary’s Observer editors reflect on leadership roles, tri-campus coverage at paper By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor
Today marks 55 years of The Observer uncovering the truth and reporting it accurately. To commemorate this anniversary, The Observer reached out to several former leaders from Saint Mary’s to discuss their journeys as student journalists and their aspirations for the years to come. Maria Leontaras, Assistant Managing Editor (2019-2020). Editor-in-Chief (2020-2021)
Leontaras ’21, who worked with The Observer since her first year, said she knew before she got to Saint Mary’s that the paper would be an important part of her College career. “So, regardless of what I was doing, outside of extracurriculars, I knew that The Observer was going to be part of my college experience,” Leontaras said. “And that alone really set me up for becoming more and more involved in The Observer as my
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years at Saint Mary’s went on.” Reflecting on the people she met during her time at The Observer, Leontaras expressed gratitude for having experienced the tri-campus community in a unique way. “My favorite thing about The Observer is was that it had these events where you could go and meet people you probably wouldn’t have met outside of it,” she said. “You’re finding out more about your own campus, but you’re also finding out more about the other campuses and The Observer at its best encompasses what’s great about the tri-campus community.” Following the 1977-78 term of first Saint Mary’s Editor-in-Chief Marti Hogan, Leontaras noted she did not expect to be the second-ever Saint Mary’s student to hold the role. “I never thought that I would be Editorin-Chief,” she said. “It didn’t seem like the paper was set up in a way that a Saint Mary’s student could do it … But I’m glad that I
ND FOOTBALL PAGE 16
see EDITORS PAGE 4
W SOCCER PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Tierra Whitley
KellyAnne Klein
first-year Ryan Hall
first-year Pasquerilla East Hall
“I’d buy a house.”
“The first thing I would do is donate it.”
Claire Bass
Samantha Blake
sophomore McGlinn Hall
sophomore Lyons Hall
“A global vacation.”
“I would pay for my college.”
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Gretchen Jones
Nicholas Biondo
Editor-in-Chief
junior Ryan Hall
junior Duncan Hall
“I would imediately start planning a vacation.”
“A house.”
Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez Managing Editor Evan McKenna
Asst. Managing Editor: Isabella Volmert Asst. Managing Editor: Colin Capece Asst. Managing Editor: Nelisha Silva
Notre Dame News Editor: Saint Mary’s News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Social Media Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator: Talent & Inclusion Manager:
Alysa Guffey Genevieve Coleman Abby Patrick Mannion McGinley Aidan O’Malley Allison Thornton Maggie Klaers Veronica Navarro Landry Kempf Christopher Walsh Rachel Johnson Siobhan Loughney
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Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
Today’s Staff News
Sports
Alysa Guffey Bella Laufenberg Isa Sheikh
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Photo
Scene
HANNAH HUELSKAMP | The Observer
Students study in Hesburgh Library’s Reading Room from early in the morning to late at night preparing for exams, writing papers and working on group projects. Masks are required on the library’s first and second floors when the building is open to the public.
The next Five days:
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Willoughby Thom
Viewpoint Hannah Hebda
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Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Tanzanian Movies, Swahili Films 334 Bond Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Cultural conversation on Tanzanian films.
Summer Study Abroad Info Session 216 DeBartolo Hall 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Learn about programs, courses and funding.
Recess: Prayer Cards in the Snite Snite Museum 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Make prayer cards with McWell.
Saturday’s with the Saints Geddes Hall 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 8 a.m., 10 a.m. & 12 p.m. All are welcome to celebrate mass.
Economic Student Panel 102 DeBartolo Hall 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Free pizza and drinks provided.
API Student Ministry Coleman-Morse Center Lounge 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Crafts with Asian Student Ministry.
Make-A-Wish 5K and mile walk St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Lakes 4 p.m. Pre-register online.
Exhibition: “Jim Dine: American Icon” Snite Musuem of Art all day Masks are required for entry.
Piano Recital LaBar Recital Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Famous duo Gilbert Kalish and Christina Dahl.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | The Observer
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DIANE PARK | The Observer
The Observer’s unusual origin story By UYEN LE, SPENCER KELLY and CHRISTINA CEFALU From the Archives Researchers
Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a two-part From the Archives series celebrating The Observer’s 55th anniversary. The second part will be published Friday, Nov. 5. Today marks 55 years of The Obser ver, Notre Dame’s most prolific student-run newspaper. Founded in 1966 by a group of ambitious students dedicated to prov iding a reliable and relevant news ser v ice on campus, The Obser ver was the crow ning achievement of a years-long effort to ma ke a name for student journa lism at Notre Dame. In this first segment of a t wo-part edition, we w ill examine The Obser ver’s predecessor The Voice, and how it set up the groundwork for The Obser ver’s debut 55 years ago. The vestiges of The Voice
March 22, 1963 | The Voice Staff | Researched by Spencer Kelly Oct. 27, 1966 | Stephen M. Feldhaus | Researched by Spencer Kelly On Friday, March 22, 1963, a newspaper was born at Notre Dame — but it wasn’t The Obser ver. It was The Voice, a short-lived publication that immediately preceded its better-k now n relative. In their first-ever edition, The Voice ran a column titled “W E H AVE BEGUN” — a
manifesto of sorts. The editors w rote that “The Voice arises from no one’s ashes,” pointing to the absence of a campus newspaper in 1963. W hile Scholastic did ex ist at the time, maga zines are essentia lly different publications than newspapers, w ith content being long in form and literar y in st yle. Newspapers more often present direct representations of facts, absent of st ylistic additions. For this reason, they w rote that “Scholastic is not a newspaper, is not intended to be a newspaper, functiona lly can’t be a newspaper.” As its name implied, The Voice would be “favoring a dia logue” among the student body, the student government and the administration. The new publication would eliminate the isolation bet ween these groups by creating awareness of the diverse v iews. “It is in this way that we can claim in some sense to be the voice of the Universit y of Notre Dame,” they w rote. The Voice recognized that these were “high aspirations,” and it would ultimately fa ll short of them. The paper was published sporadica lly over three-and-a-ha lf years. On Thursday, Oct. 27, 1966, the front page declared its ow n dow nfa ll: “THE VOICE IS DE AD.”
Editor-in-chief Stephen M. Feldhaus (’67) cited
numerous problems precipitating the paper’s demise. Insufficient funding prevented the paper from printing regularly, diminishing the relevancy of their stories. Staffing shortages further exacerbated production issues, and lack of support from the Universit y impeded their legitimacy. But Feldhaus was proud of their work, w riting that “in spite of the magnitude of these obstacles, the VOICE has managed to ex ist.” Further, Feldhaus remained optimistic about the future of student journalism at Notre Dame. “There’s room for a newspaper at Notre Dame,” he w rote. “But not The Voice under the present circumstances.” The newspaper-shaped gap in the Notre Dame communit y would be filled by a new publication, co-founded by Feldhaus, that launched just one week later: The Obser ver. The Voice was effectively a trial run for its descendant — a protot y pe that allowed Feldhaus to learn from his mistakes. Though The Voice crashed, it was crucial to The Obser ver’s success. The Voice rose “from no one’s ashes,” but The Obser ver rose out the ashes of The Voice. For that, it is forever indebted.
The beginning of an era: The Observer’s debut
Nov. 3, 1966 | Observer Staff | Researched by Christina Cefalu The ending of The Voice left an opening for a contemporar y change in Notre Dame’s student journalism. Just a week after The Voice was shut dow n, its former editor-in-chief Stephen M. Feldhaus banded together a creative and driven group of students, including Robert Anson (’67) and Pat Collins (’66), to begin a new era of the Notre Dame student newspaper w ith the founding of The Obser ver. Feldhaus’ v ision for this new publication was a “journal of Notre Dame and its students,” which would be published regularly, starting at week ly editions in the first month and biweek ly editions to follow. Infusing the v ibrancy of student w riting into its pages, the newly-founded Obser ver would “do just what its name proclaims: obser ve, remark, notice, comment and adhere.” The team proclaimed this was “not a rebirth” of The Voice, but a new beginning in Notre Dame’s histor y. 55 years later, The Obser ver still proudly reports and represents the thoughts and v iews of the tri-campus communit y. The Obser ver greatly
expanded the newspaper content, no longer limiting its scope to simple reports of campus events. This new approach included coverage on both global issues and student activ ities, opinion pieces and cheek y cartoons. The Obser ver’s first publication was saturated w ith character. The paper included a “Letters to the Obser ver” section, which functioned like its current View point section, giv ing all students a platform of expression. Norman Jeddeloh (’68) inter v iewed as the first week ly “Man in the News” article for his efforts to improve life for offcampus students. Interhall sports records stood alongside a passionate plea for athletes to receive compensation beyond scholarships in “The college football sw indle.” Within these works, The Obser ver’s new mission to pursue an “all-encompassing search for the truth” was woven in. This search for truth stands the test of time, as The Obser ver’s success and longev it y is founded in its authentic take on the Notre Dame experience. Contact Uyen Le at hle2@ nd.edu, Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu and Christina Cefalu at ccefalu@nd.edu
FROM THE ARCHIVES
A history of sex education at Saint Mary’s By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ Associate News Editor
On Monday, March 29, 1968 — two years since the first publication of The Observer — Vol. 11 No. LIX was published. Under the bold Scooby Doo-style letters that read “The Observer,” in between two bold back lines was the volume number, the date and “University of Notre Dame.” Three days later on Monday, April 1, 1968, The Observer published Vol. 11 No. LX with a new addition to the bottom of those bold letters: “serving the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College community. A little over two years after its establishment, The Observer began to serve and report on the Saint Mary’s College community discussing issues such as housing, enrollment rates and
the Colleges’ initiatives. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1970, The Observer published Vol. V No. 10 filled with attentiongrabbing headlines: “SMC proposes drug policy,” “Saigon SU asks help from NSA” and “SMC plans sex ed.” The “SMC plans sex ed.” article, written by Ann Therese Darin, spoke on the initiative by the Saint Mary’s Health Committee — a student-led committee — to “discuss plans for inaugurating sex education and drug programs.” The article details the student’s efforts to have a campus-wide distribution of pertinent material sanctioned by the Mental Health Association (MHA). The information was placed in the student government offices, health services and Room 44 in Holy Cross. Darin was able to speak to committee member
Kathy Eglet, who elaborated on the initiative. “Our job will be to distribute sex education and structure a workshop,” Eglet told Darin. The distribution of sex education material to students is nothing new on Saint Mary’s campus. However, in recent years, student efforts to form abortion rights groups have been met with pushback from the school. This has not stopped students from ensuring their peers have access to resources such as contact with local South Bend clinics and readily available contraception such as condoms. While Saint Mary’s has seen progress in hosting and facilitating conversations on sex and faith — specifically through its most recent series on sex and spirituality: “Wonderfully Made” — there has been little to
no progress on fostering spaces for discussion of bodily autonomy and on making contraception accessible. Talk of sex education and Catholic values has been a topic of recent discussion on the Saint Mary’s campus. The stigma decreases every day with student, faculty and staff effort, yet the road ahead is a long one. Fifty years later, and students have taken initiative and worked towards changing campus culture on sex, bodily autonomy and the intersection between sex and faith. Students are still spearheading conversations, leading initiatives and offering resources by their dorm rooms just like Room 44 in Holy Cross, back in 1970. “I realize that these are touchy subjects,” said faculty representative Dr. Bambeneck in the 1970 article. “However, we are
failing as educators … to neglect to give our students the straight facts.” “We can’t make our students’ moral decisions,” Bambeneck added. There was an understanding then, and there is an understanding now, that conversations on sex and spirituality need to be had. This understanding is evident through current initiatives such as “Wonderfully Made,” the opening of the LBGTQ+ Center and other student-led efforts. However, the struggle to reconcile sex education and Catholic values is still as prevalent as ever. Saint Mary’s has seen some progress, but also faced many setbacks, and the conversation is far from over. Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Students put on production of ‘Macbeth’ By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company (NSR) invites the Notre Dame community to attend its production of Macbeth. The show will take place in Washington Hall Lab Theatre at 7 p.m. each night. NSR is Notre Dame’s completely student-run Shakespeare troupe. It is a club as well as a production company that puts on one Shakespeare play per semester. The show will feature senior Harrison Larkins as Macbeth and junior Christina Randazzo as Lady Macbeth. Senior Cate Cappelmann, director of the production, said immediately when you
Editors Continued from page 1
took the chance to apply and didn’t let the stereotypes about my campus stop me from trying new things and pursuing a position that I never thought I could.” Leontaras also discussed the Aug. 21, 2020 “Don’t make us write obituaries” print issue, which was produced from the Saint Mary’s library due to Notre Dame’s move to two weeks of online classes at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester. “We produced that four-page edition in the basement of the Saint Mary’s library,” she said. “It was me and [Assistant Managing Editors] Sara Schlecht and Maeve Filbin for a little bit working on this four-page edition — taking pictures of the front and sending it to the [Editorial] Board … Even though we weren’t all together in the South Dining Hall office, it still was a collaborative effort from anyone who responded to our messages.” Responding to the national attention the editorial received, Leontaras said it was gratifying to receive such profound feedback. “Sometimes it feels like you’re doing all this hard work and no one’s noticing,” Leontaras said. “But when we published that editorial and it really gained some traction online and major publications were writing about us … and all these places were talking about what we did, it really helped us put into perspective — for me at least — that your work is not for nothing, and that people do pay attention to what you’re doing and hopefully, it’ll have an impact on them in some way.” Leontaras closed by emphasizing that Saint Mary’s students can take on leadership positions within The Observer, despite negative stereotypes about students. “I hope that seeing that I as a Saint Mary’s student could do that, every other Saint Mary’s student who is a part of The Observer can see that they can
walk into the lab theatre, you are confronted with an intimate black box space. “The characters are going to be right up in your face,” said Cappelmann. “It’s almost like a f ly on the wall experience.” Cappelmann’s take on the play is more traditional, with a more sympathetic portrayal of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, she said. “Our productions vary from director to director — what their vision is,” Cappelmann said. Rehearsals for the show have been running about five days a week since a couple of weeks into the school year. Randazzo said she and Larkins have a great relationship on stage and off. “Harrison has done such an amazing job,” Randazzo
said. “Having a scene partner like him just makes the whole thing so much easier.” The cast has put in a lot of hard work but also has had fun in rehearsal, she said. “Lots of laughter, lots of fun, silly things that go on behind the scenes,” Randazzo said. “It’s a tragedy, but sometimes in rehearsal, it felt like comedy.” Larkins said he finds Macbeth to be horrifying, both because of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s murderous desires and because audience members can see themselves in their desires. “I think what really compels me the most about [Macbeth] is that he is sort of a ref lection of all of us in many ways,” Larkins said.
Many of the costume pieces for the show are hand-sewn by members of the production team. Randazzo said the costume makers have put “blood, sweat and tears” into making the bodices and other pieces. “I think it just brings a whole new level of life to it,” Randazzo said. Cappelmann said she is investing in quality props while still keeping the set minimal. “Yesterday was our big … day where we were just designing all the lights and rehearsing with the original sounds for the first time,” Cappelmann said. Larkins said it has been really nice this semester to not wear masks while performing. “So much of theater is
what’s going on in the face and being able to see each other,” Larkins said. “Much of the success of theater, I think, depends on being able to react to what your fellow actors are doing in the moment.” QR codes on posters around campus provide the link to ticket sales. Tickets can also be purchased on NSR’s website, Instagram and Facebook or at the door as space is available. Cappelmann said Macbeth is not just about an evil wife manipulating her husband. “It’s a play more about the choices we make and the consequences of them and how our desires can lead us astray,” Cappelmann said.
do that too,” Leontaras said. “They shouldn’t let the thought that they aren’t from one campus or another, hold them back from pursuing whatever they want to do on any campus.”
highlighted the unique experiences of Saint Mary’s students. “I loved writing stories like that about Saint Mary’s students making a name for themselves in areas where Saint Mary’s names maybe had never been written before or if they had been, it was a long time ago,” Filbin said. Filbin said she believes The Observer presented her with a distinct community, as well as the skills to discover the truth. “I think my time at The Observer gave me a lot of things — the biggest probably being the group of people who became friends and really left a very lasting impact on my life,” she said. “The next being just a real appreciation for the type of work that goes into uncovering the truth, where I think it’s super important to hold the powerful to account especially on college campuses where it’s so important to allow students to have a voice. I would say that The Observer taught me to ask the important questions, even if you’re the only one asking them.”
pressure there, but it was also incredibly rewarding, especially as news was breaking every week when we were first online.” After seeing the power behind The Observer’s Aug. 2020 editorial and her own Inside Columns, Marroquin noted a realization she had about the impact of student journalism. “But I think that’s the beautiful thing about student journalism is that it just has this ricochet effect that you don’t know who’s going to read it next,” Marroquin said. “You don’t know the power that they have to make decisions.” Being at a women’s college inspired Marroquin’s resilience in her current career path, she said. “I think being at Saint Mary’s taught me so much about being confident in myself and being confident in what I’m capable of achieving,” she said. “Right now, I work in a pretty maledominated industry and my experiences at Saint Mary’s and my leadership roles at Saint Mary’s made me feel like my voice is a value and that I have things to contribute to the conversation.”
News for Saint Mary’s students and while it wasn’t particularly groundbreaking at the time, I wasn’t seeing Saint Mary’s students at Scene meetings, or really, even outside of the Saint Mary’s News meetings at all.” One of the lessons that Schlecht took away from her time at The Observer is the importance of asking good questions, she said. “Journalism really forces you to get good at asking questions and thinking critically, like in an interview or just even in a conversation with another person,” she said. “And so it helped me just think faster and more deeply about the situations I was in to see how I could get the most or learn the most from situation I was involved in. I think it helps me as a writer for sure, but it’s also something I use every day now.” A memorable part of Schlecht’s term as Assistant Managing Editor is former Notre Dame law professor and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Something that really sticks out to me from my time as Assistant Managing Editor was Amy Coney Barrett,” Schlecht said. “From the speculation that she would be nominated to replace the late Justice Ginsburg, to the nomination, to the Rose Garden debacle: She was a constant presence in our news cycle for a month. She had a large presence in the forefront of the national mind, but also very narrowly on the mind of everyone in the office.” Schlecht said she believes The Observer needs to continue to uplift Saint Mary’s students in both leadership positions and news coverage. “I know that The Observer is better for having Saint Mary’s in leadership,” Schlecht said. “A continued presence there is wonderful to make sure that their stories continue to be in The Observer.”
Maeve Filbin, Saint Mary’s News Editor (2019-2020), Assistant Managing Editor (2020-2021)
Filbin ’21 had a background in journalism from writing for her high school newspaper and knew she wanted to continue at the Saint Mary’s News department when she met leadership during her first year. When she herself was named Saint Mary’s News Editor for the 2019-2020 term, Filbin experienced the challenge of running her department while studying abroad. “When I became Saint Mary’s News Editor, I was actually studying abroad in Ireland and, at the time, a lot of the newly assigned General Board was also studying abroad, so we were really all over the world when we came together as a board,” she said. “I think that really defined my first couple of months as Saint Mary’s News Editor considering that I was trying to keep track of campus from miles across the ocean in an entirely different time zone.” Filbin also characterized her time with The Observer as one that gave students answers about the College’s changing leadership. “Really in all my time with The Observer, Saint Mary’s administration was just boiling with these new changes taking place and that left, I think, a lot of the student body with a lot of questions that then were our department’s responsibility to answer,” Filbin said. “I feel like that was really the theme of my time within the Saint Mary’s department, and later on, as assistant managing editor.” Thinking about her other contributions to news coverage, Filbin recalled many stories that
Mia Marroquin, Saint Mary’s News Editor (2020-2021)
Marroquin ’21 joined the Saint Mary’s news department her sophomore year after realizing she wanted to highlight Saint Mary’s in a tri-campus organization. “I’ve always enjoyed writing my whole life and I also really liked the idea of getting more involved in the tri-campus community, especially being able to represent Saint Mary’s and all the good stuff we’ve got going on here,” Marroquin said. During her term, Marroquin and her department were responsible for informing the student body about changing COVID-19 policies during the height of the pandemic. “We acted as a liaison for what was going on with University and College officials and administrators to students that read our tweets or our articles,” she said. “So, there was definitely a lot of
Sara Schlecht, Associate News Editor (2019-2020), Assistant Managing Editor (2020-2021)
Schlecht ’21 recalled her first Saint Mary’s news meeting during her first year as a pivotal part of her college experience. “It’s just one of my strongest college memories,” she said. “I met so many of the most influential and important people of my college experience, like, in one Observer meeting, and I just never looked back.” After writing articles for both the News and Scene departments, Schlecht noted her pride in being able to find spaces for writers outside of the Saint Mary’s News department. “Something that I really am proud of doing is opening myself up to the possibility of writing in more than one department,” she said. “It kind of showed me that there were possibilities beyond just Saint Mary’s
Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu
Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman1@saintmarys.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | The Observer
Jenkins announces reunion Observer Staff Report
In an email Tuesday afternoon, University President Fr. John Jenkins announced plans for a celebration ahead of the 50th anniversary of undergraduate women attending Notre Dame. The University welcomed its first class of women in the fall of 1972. The anniversary celebration, themed “Golden is Thy Fame: 50 years of Undergraduate Women,” will include keynote events during the 2022 spring semester. Information regarding the events will be forthcoming, the email said. The celebration will conclude
Journalists Continued from page 1
York City, accepting a job at Dow Jones. Now, he has found his groove covering the health and the pharmaceutical industry for the Wall Street Journal. “There’s been a lot to write about, and I just found it really, really interesting,” Loftus said. When reflecting on his years with The Observer, Loftus credits much of his journalistic formation at Notre Dame to the paper. “I felt that that was a huge part of my education at Notre Dame, in addition to the courses I took,” Loftus said. Madeline Buckley, Class of 2011
When Madeline Buckley wrote her first story for The Observer News department her first year, the editors working that night tore it to shreds. Buckley, now a general assignment reporter for the Chicago Tribune, said she was slow to catch on to the style of journalistic writing. “When I wrote my first story, I covered a lecture and I didn’t go great; I didn’t really know what I was doing and didn’t really know how to do newspaper style. The editor that night made a lot of changes,” she said. Although she got off to a rocky start, Buckley said she kept at it and news writing eventually clicked, especially during her first internship in a professional newsroom. Buckley interned for the South Bend Tribune, the Concord Monitor and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. She has also worked for The Brownsville Herald and The Indianapolis Star before starting her current stint at the Chicago Tribune. Her time at The Observer was critical in her growth as a reporter, Buckley said. “To some extent, nothing can really prepare you [for being a journalist]. You just have to jump in and it’s a rough time for the industry and it’s hard to truly prepare people for that,” she said. “I think, definitely, my experience at The Observer taught
with the 2022 Alumni Reunion, which will additionally invite all alumnae back to campus from June 3 to 5. The first cohort of undergraduate women will also be recognized at the reunion, Jenkins wrote. Jenkins invited all University groups to partake in celebrations and events to commemorate the 50th anniversary. “We invite the campus community — the colleges and schools, departments and campus units, as well as student and alumni groups — to join us in commemorating the anniversary by hosting events that recognize the impact women have had,” Jenkins said.
In addition, the email announced that 2022 also marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX — an educational amendment that was introduced in 1972 “which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities.” Jenkins added that both anniversaries serve as opportunities for reflection. “These twin anniversaries provide us an opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions of our women students and graduates, both at Notre Dame and beyond, in their communities, our nation, the Church and the world,” Jenkins said.
me how to write stories on short deadlines while you’re juggling all sorts of other things.” One time, Buckley said, she had to learn a hard lesson about working with sources. “I was interviewing somebody and they asked if they could see a draft of my story before it was published ... and I sent it to her and she sent me back a super heavily edited piece,” she said. “So, I had to awkwardly go back and just say, ‘Sorry, it was a mistake to send this to you. I can’t make these changes.’” Buckley said her favorite news to cover during her time at Notre Dame was when former President Barack Obama visited campus for the Class of 2009 commencement ceremony. “It was a huge deal,” Buckley said. “There were lots of people protesting that decision, lots of anti-abortion advocates that were protesting the decision, and it was just nonstop news. That was really memorable.” Now, Buckley said she cherishes the relationships she made at The Observer. “I think one of the biggest things I take forward from The Observer now is just the relationships,” she said. “There’s a few close friends from that time in my life that are still close friends to this day. Some of them are still in journalism, some of them who I still will ask for advice and exchange stories about working at newspapers and get support from even to this day.”
who died after a scissor lift fell during football practice. “I remember sitting in the back of the Basilica with my colleague … covering his funeral mass and sitting amid other media from, like, the Chicago Tribune and other press, and it was just sort of a surreal moment because to me, as a student, it felt so deeply personal, and it was interesting to observe the press from elsewhere come in,” Mervosh said. Like Loftus, Mervosh also covered the long-standing struggle for LGBTQ+ students to gain acceptance from University administration. Memories of The Observer for Mervosh include a strong recollection of herself and the “news girls,” a name she gave some of her closest colleagues. “We had a very strong identity as news writers, and we had a big rivalry with the sports department,” Mervosh said. Mervosh said working for The Observer taught her to not view herself as a powerless student but to to hold institutions accountable. “To be able to ask the University questions and challenge was empowering, and it sort of taught me the power that simply calling attention to something or asking questions about something can be even if it’s not some immediate change,” she said.
Sarah Mervosh, Class of 2012 Sarah Mervosh remembers eagerly emailing an editor at The Observer at the very beginning of her first year. “I signed up right away, and I started writing just basic stories as a freshman and eventually started laying out pages and became the news editor and then eventually the managing editor,” Mervosh said. Now, Mervosh is a reporter for the New York Times covering PreK-12 education. In her time at the student paper, she vividly remembers covering the memorial mass of Declan Sullivan, a student videographer for the football team
Katie Galioto, Class of 2018
Former Observer staffer Katie Galioto grew up in Minnesota and is currently a reporter for the state’s Star Tribune; however, she did not get there without a stop in Notre Dame, Indiana. Galioto said she stumbled across The Observer her first year of college at the activities fair. “Most of [the clubs] didn’t stick, but one that did was The Observer,” Galioto said. She worked as a staff writer her first two years and later became news editor and managing editor during her junior and senior years, respectively. “I probably wrote a story within the first few weeks of being on campus and just kind of kept going and slowly got more and
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OIE reports sexual battery incident Observer Staff Report
The Of f ice of Institutiona l Equit y repor ted a n incident of sex ua l batter y t hat occurred in t he ea rly morning of Oct. 30 to t he Not re Da me Police Depa r t ment (NDPD), according to a n ema i l f rom t he NDPD on Monday. The ema i l stated t he incident took place in a men’s residence ha l l a nd involved t he ma le v ict im wa k ing up to f ind
more involved,” she said. During her time at the paper, the 2016 election sticks out in Galioto’s mind — specifically the moment the graphics designer switched from making a Hillary Clinton victory graphic to a Donald Trump one. “Newsrooms, in general, are just such interesting places to be on election night like they’re so crazy and chaotic,” Galioto said. “But that election especially, I think, for the first time in a while, really surprised people.” Galioto said she had no idea what she wanted to do for a career heading into college. She switched her major multiple times, but journalism was always in the back of her mind. She held an internship at the Star Tribune for a few months after her senior year of college. Afterward, she hopped around a couple of newsrooms and then called the Star Tribune one last time before accepting an entry-level job at another organization. “I reached out one more time to one of my old editors [at the Star Tribune] and was like, ‘Hey, just so you know, I’m going to take this, but still want to keep in touch,’ and she was like, ‘Wait a second, give me a call,’ and they just kind of happened to have an opening come up,” she said. Galioto said what she will always remember are the “weird people” she would have never met if not for The Observer. “I feel like the basement of South Dining Hall is just forever ingrained in my mind as this special place that meant so much to me,” Galioto said. Marek Mazurek, Class of 2018
Now a news writer for the South Bend Tribune, Marek Mazurek was a sports writer during his entire career at The Observer. Mazurek, who majored in history with minors in medieval studies and in the Journalism, Ethics and Democracy program, said he planned on becoming a sports journalist before coming to Notre Dame. “Coming into college, I wanted to be a sports writer,” Mazurek said. “I just signed up for the Sports department, and
t he suspect ma k ing unwa nted physica l contact. According to t he ema i l, t he suspect was described as a ta l l white ma le w it h brow n ha ir. The Of f ice of Inst itut iona l Equit y is cont inuing to invest igate t he incident, t he ema i l sa id. Resources for sur v ivors of sex ua l assau lt a nd to lea rn more about sex ua l assau lt prevent ion ca n be found on t he NDPD website, t he ema i l sa id.
it kind of just stuck. I loved it.” Mazurek worked as a sports writer for his first two years. He became the sports editor his junior year and an assistant managing editor during his senior year. He said he valued the teamwork that went into everything at The Observer. “Teamwork was what made it enjoyable,” Mazurek said. “There’s always times when you don’t want to come into the office, but once you get into the office and you see those people you’re working with and your friends there, it really turns you around.” During his time in the sports department, Mazurek covered a wide range of teams including swimming, cross country, basketball and football. Now, Mazurek is the cops, courts and public safety reporter for the South Bend Tribune. Although Mazurek did not have any news experience, he said he learned a lot by just being a part of the process. “I was a sports writer for years, but I now write for news,” he said. “And so, I definitely would say I learned some good things by watching them, rather than actively participating in the news coverage during my time there.” He said one of his favorite experiences during his time was the sports department’s annual turkey bowl — a game of two-hand touch football played around Thanksgiving every year. Mazurek boasted a 27-touchdown career, which he acknowledged cannot be fact-checked. Overall, Mazurek said he was very thankful for the home he found at The Observer. “[The Observer] is the place at Notre Dame where I found my niche, my community, my family,” he said. “I was happy to have contributed to it and that it still continues to this day — it’s independent reporting on issues that matter to the campus community, and that’s not something that every college has by any means.” Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu and Bella Laufenberg at ilaufen@nd.edu
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The observer | Wednesday, November 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Revive the music scene Willoughby Thom Viewpoint Copyeditor
This is a public service announcement. Bring back the Notre Dame music scene. This is an urgent cry and something I thought I would never have to say after writing a similar public service announcement in 2019. Some of you might not be aware of this, but Notre Dame has an underground music scene. When I began my time at Notre Dame the music scene was small but quickly growing. Sadly, due to the pandemic and the passing of time, shows had to be postponed and many of our friends and bands have graduated. Of course, every scene goes through its ups and downs, but as our world recovers, we need music more than ever. In fact, I would do absolutely anything to be crammed into a small, sweaty, South Bend basement right now; singing, dancing and moshing while my friends play covers and originals on their instruments attached to unreliable speakers and faulty wires; the atmosphere wouldn’t be complete without a few exposed pipes or wood beams. I miss seeing flyers taped around campus announcing the next show or anticipating a text about the details of the house show. The scene was powered by word of mouth, a passion for music and the search for community. It might be considered an underground scene, but it was right before your eyes — if you look hard enough you will find it. The spirit of live music fuels unity and community, and the Notre Dame scene is one of the strongest. I would like to make it clear that the scene is still alive, it’s just in hibernation. It’s a community that never goes away, it just needs to be reawakened. We are living in a time of rebuilding, and I think it’s vital we bring back the community that means so much to so many people. There are already many bands on campus who have been practicing (yes, I see you!), but it’s now time to use your power to bring people together. If you have a band or want to start one, do it. I tried to start a band, that unfortunately didn’t see the light of the basement, but in the words of Colleen — our bassist — “sometimes, writing a song with a friend and banging on drums with another is enough. That being said, start a band. Even if you fail, you won’t.” I hope through word of mouth, the power of social media and homemade flyers, the next show will soon be on the horizon. Let’s get the bands back together. Support your local music scene. Support the Notre Dame music scene. Check out some of the Notre Dame music scene’s beloved alumni: The Shifties, Felix Rabito (Saint Dismas), Muzzy Hooks, Alright, Good, Joe Andrews, Payant You can contact Willoughby at wthom@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The remedial quality of confession Devin Humphreys Law, Life and the Lord
Professor Samuel Bray teaches an absolutely exceptional upper-level course on remedies. I’m taking it this semester, and it’s a true honor to be learning the law of remedies (including the distinction between law and equity) from a renowned national expert in the subject. One of the things I’ve noticed about remedies (the course, not the concept) is how all-encompassing it is. This course has basically taken everything we’ve done throughout the first year of law school, ties it up in a bow, and asks us to go deeper. I leave that class every Monday and Thursday grateful for the opportunity to think deeply about what happens after a court has decided who should be liable for what in a case. Right before fall break, I went to confession at the Basilica. Now, I’m a regular at the confessional, which has its pros and cons. Pros: it’s good for me to avail myself of the graces of the sacrament of confession frequently, and the post-confession high cannot be beaten. Cons: between every confession, we sin (thus why we go back), and sin is bad. Plus, too often I’ve fallen into the trap of rendering the beginning of a confession by rote: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last Confession was about a week ago. In the time intervening …” I’ve gone to confession once or twice since, but this early October confession stuck with me for an analogy the priest provided me. After I had completed my confession, he said that sometimes, it is easy enough to associate the sacrament of confession with something like a car wash. When our cars get dirty, we take them to the car wash so that they might be cleaned, then leave for the road again, only for our car to get dirty again so that we return to the car wash again. But confession is not supposed to be like a car wash, the priest said. Because, if we let Him, God is doing far more than just wiping away the stain of sin. If we let Him, God seeks to change our very hearts and minds (metanoia in the Greek) You might be thinking: “Interesting reflection on the sacrament of Confession, Devin, but how does any of that relate to your remedies course?” Confession is like my remedies course in many ways, but the most important is that the “car wash” analogy the priest gave me in the confessional before fall break led my mind on a spiritually (and legally) edifying side tangent. I find myself flourishing the most when I am able to tie the parts of my life that are completely unrelated to my legal studies back to my legal studies, and the confessional is no exception. When the priest gave the “car wash” analogy, I had a eureka moment: the confessional is like injunctive relief, not damages. Remedies as a course strives to outline the different things that someone can ask for in the event he or she wins a lawsuit he or she has filed against someone else. In many cases, people sue because they want money to rectify a wrong. But sometimes people want other things. If the sale of a house goes
awry, people will often sue to obtain a specific piece of property, for instance (that’s called “specific performance”). And most importantly for this column, sometimes people sue to stop other people from doing things. When you sue with that in mind, you’re seeking an “injunction,” or for a court to “enjoin” another person or group. Injunctions are kind of hot in the news right now because issues surrounding who courts can enjoin and when are at the center of the Texas abortion bill case the Supreme Court just decided to hear, but to make a long story short, if a court enjoins you from doing something and you do it anyway, you can get put away for contempt. Additionally, courts can “modify” an injunction to reflect changes in circumstances, like when an injunction is ambiguous and parties don’t know how to comply with it. Most importantly, though, unlike money damages, injunctions require continued mediation between a court and the parties to litigation, since an injunction always asks you to stop doing something for an extended period rather than simply do one thing (pay money) and move on with your life. So it is ith our spiritual life and how we should approach the confessional. Going to confession isn’t like paying money damages, as though you can pay a penalty (be it actually through money, or through some sort of good work) and then move on with the rest of your life as though nothing even happened. God calls us to a deeper relationship than that. In the first instance, he has placed the natural law upon our hearts such that we are capable of discerning right from wrong. This is akin to an initial injunction from a court. But sometimes we fail to listen and obey, just as injunctions aren’t always clear. In those instances, where I fall, it is the confessional that “modifies the injunction,” so to speak, setting me on a path to authentically “amend my life,” to quote an older form of the Act of Contrition. But what about the notion of penance? That too fits this analogy, but simply as time served on the charge of being in contempt of court. For sin is the contemnation (that’s not a typo) of God, and our penance, given in the confessional, is how we make that right. The next time you go to confession (and really, dear reader, you should go to confession), keep this in mind. God isn’t calling us to do this to pay for our wrongs. His Son already did that on the cross. We shouldn’t approach confession as though it’s going to enable us to move on with our lives as though nothing’s even happened. The Sacrament of confession should change us, leading us to a continued, closer relationship with our heavenly father, and remedying (pardon the pun) our wounded souls. Devin is a member of Notre Dame Law School’s class of 2023. Originally from Farwell, Michigan, he is a 2020 graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College. In addition to serving as a teaching assistant at the law school, in his free time, he sings with the Notre Dame Folk Choir and discusses the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen. He can be reached at dhumphr2@nd.edu or @ DevinJHumphreys on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
The observer | WEDNESDAY, November 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Talking nice behind people’s backs Julianna Conley In My Own Words
Editor’s Note: The full version of the column can be found on our website. As children, we’re taught that if we don’t have anything nice to say, we shouldn’t say anything at all. By high school, it’s universally acknowledged that talking bad about someone behind their back is uncouth. In regards to unsolicited criticism, we are told to keep it to ourselves. But what about unsolicited praise? What about the nice thoughts we have about students we don’t really know in our classes or strangers we pass on the street? More often than not, I keep these thoughts to myself. It’s time we change that. It’s time we stop talking nice about people behind their backs and start telling it to their faces. Just last week, I was walking with one of my friends when we saw a girl wearing fabulous pants. After my friend pointed them out to me, I took a breath and called out to the girl as we passed her on the sidewalk. “My friend loves your pants!” Immediately, I was elbowed. “Why would you say that? She probably thinks we’re weirdos now. “ But the week before, when a stranger complimented an outfit I was wearing, I didn’t think they were a weirdo. I thought they were kind. I thought they made my day. Why would I think someone taking the time to tell me something nice is weird? Why should it be embarrassing to admit we admire the good qualities we see in the people around us? Going up to someone and paying them a compliment can make us feel vulnerable, but it can also make them feel good. To be fair, I think that most of the time we aren’t actively afraid of paying people compliments. We’re so used to going about our routines that it doesn’t even occur to us to share our niceties with the people they praise.
I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve read, loved and forwarded to my family without ever reaching out to the author. I can’t count how many times my friends and I have discussed how insightful another classmate’s contribution was without ever telling that classmate. I’ve lost track of the number of people my roommate and I are “secretly obsessed with” because we think they’re the coolest. But I can tell you the exact date in 2011 that someone at summer camp told me I had a pretty singing voice. I remember Christian Trujillo telling me he voted me most popular of our fourth grade class. I have saved every warm email I’ve ever received in response to a column. I’ve held on to all the little kindnesses people have told me, all the compliments and all the offhand comments that didn’t mean much to the person saying them, but everything to me. Because even though it probably seemed insignificant to the people who mentioned something they liked about me, even though they’ve since forgotten saying anything about my sense of humor or math skills, those comments come to mind when I’m having a bad day. They remind me that there are people who appreciate me. We need to start spilling our kind thoughts, not because everyone needs constant validation, but because there’s no reason not to. Telling someone you really liked what they said in that meeting costs you nothing. Texting your friend that the lab partner you were with when you bumped into her thinks she’s pretty is about as low effort as it gets. I’m not asking you to go out of your way writing odes and declarations, or even challenging you to start brainstorming compliments for every acquaintance. All I’m suggesting is that we vocalize the kindness we already have in our brains. In the spirit of non-secret niceties, here are some of the things I’ve thought about for years, but have never taken the time to tell people.
Ellie Kavanagh, you are one of the funniest people I have ever met and one of the kindest. Ethan Osterman, I always looked forward to our postseminar study sessions freshman year. Steph Franczak, your supportive nodding in theology class sophomore year always reassured me when I was nervous. Daniel Pronko, I think you’re the coolest. Every person I’ve talked to at ND Listens claims to be your biggest fan. Ella Wisniewski, your column about Notre Dame jumping the shark is my roommate’s favorite piece column. Ever. The boys who lassoed my friends and I into their dance circle at the McCarter tailgate outside Legends after the Purdue game: my friends and I LOVED you. Nyah Brummer and Dianna Perez: I have such big friend crushes on both of you that I almost stayed in that sociology class just so I could hang out with you. Caitlyn Schrier and Lauren Bauman, you two were “essential” to the 8B section vibes last year. Best neighbors ever. Daniel Castañeda, Zach Margovskiy, Ian Coates, Rob Crawford and Sean Butler: Every time any of you has ever come up in conversation, the person talking about you says that you’re the best. Every. Single. Time. Mary Kate Walsh, when we did the winternship together, Claire and I would text about how we wanted to be your best friends. It’s not too late … Julianna Conley is a senior studying sociology and pre-health studies with a minor Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. Though she is forever loyal to Pasquerilla East B-team athletics, Julianna now lives off campus. She can be reached for comment at jconley4@nd.edu or @JuliannaLConley on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The Patriarch: preservation or progress? Eva Analitis The Flip Side
Editor’s Note: The full version of this column can be found on our website. I often find myself thinking about how we categorize ourselves within society. Broadly speaking, we tend to identify with one of two groups: conservatives — people who want to keep things as they are — and progressives — people who want change. Progressivism and conservatism are competing worldviews to us when it comes to politics, culture, aesthetics, morals, etc., and we feel we must pick a side in the conflict. Anyone who likes tradition surely can’t be interested in progress, and anyone seeking progress cannot possibly respect tradition, society tells us. But what if I admire certain customs and traditions and respect aspects of history, yet support particular calls for change and the social inclusion to which society is shifting? Where do I go? The tension between progress and tradition has been a particularly personal one for me as I work to make sense of my identities as both an Orthodox Christian and a modern woman. The Eastern Orthodox Church is known for its traditional atmosphere and conservative character, retaining ancient teachings, rituals, language and art. In fact, it actively strives to preserve Church teachings and practices in their original form from the beginning of the Christian Church. This is why it is called “Orthodox.” How can I simultaneously be a part of this microcosm of conservation and contemporary society at large? The world often tries to paint progress and tradition as obstacles to each other’s existence, the ultimate struggle being for one to overtake the other. Thursday, however, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to campus reminded me of what I have always known deep down to be true but have been made to doubt at times: that support for progress and tradition are not mutually exclusive. It’s not an all-or-nothing game where we must stand on one side of the line or the other, and we ought to disregard anyone who tells us otherwise. What I saw in Patriarch Bartholomew was the potential for an embodiment of a simultaneous commitment to
preservation and progress. Hailing from the ancient city of Constantinople, carrying the wisdom of 81 years and draped in the customary black garb, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians proved to be remarkably in touch with the challenges of the current times. Upon his reception of an honorary degree in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Patriarch identified the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change as the two most pressing crises of our day. To see the spiritual leader of this Church exhibit such a solid understanding of the modern challenges facing the world and a resolution to tackle them was reassuring and refreshing. So, what is Patriarch Bartholomew — progressive or traditional? Did he turn his back on tradition by showing fellowship with Pope Francis and the Catholic Church despite a rift between the Eastern and Western Churches? Or by taking modern scientific evidence and calling on people to act to combat the modern issues of the pandemic and climate change? Did he shun modernity by upholding the institutions and customs of the Church that have largely been kept intact from the early Church? Or could it be, perhaps, that the choice between these first two options is a false one — that he has not chosen tradition over progress or vice versa, and neither must we? I argue the latter. Religion can get a bad rap sometimes, as being antiscientific or stuck in the past. Over the years, however, and culminating in the Patriarch’s visit this past Thursday, the Orthodox Christian Faith has shown me the feasibility and beauty of adhering to the richness of two thousand years of tradition while also understanding the needs of the times — that we can retain historical roots while also being compatible with modern science, inclusive and forward-looking. As His All-Holiness reminded us, “Religion must function and serve in connection with and never in isolation from science. Faith alone will not overcome the problems of our time, but the challenges of our time will certainly not be overcome without Faith.” So, the struggle is not to choose between faith and science or tradition and progress but rather to fuse them, to recognize that they are especially powerful when we allow them to complement each other. We can sometimes fall into the trap of viewing the Church as holding us back from progress. We tend to think when
we value religious traditions and practices, we do so at the expense of advocating change in the world. However, Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit serves as a reminder that this is a myth; the Church, instead, enables and actually obliges us to respond to the situations of the times. Nor is support for progressive practices and policies my own optimistic twist on Church teachings. Patriarch Bartholomew himself gave an explicit nod to progress, citing the need to transform our world: “This broader worldview is what enables us to imagine a world that is different to the one we have created or become accustomed to. It is the conviction that something that has not yet happened can actually happen with the cooperation of everyone and the synergy of God.” In the single figure of the Ecumenical Patriarch, we saw the marriage of commitment to both progress and tradition through his advocacy for climate justice and for a forceful response to the coronavirus. In his final call to action, the Patriarch encouraged us, “It is you, college students, that offer us the optimism that we so yearn for. The readiness to accept change and sacrifice, the capacity to overcome polarization, the conviction to be catalysts of social and ecological justice, as well as, quite frankly, the opportunity to save democracy and our planet.” We youth are pressured to view progress and tradition as distinct and incompatible categories. We are often made to think that religion, customs and tradition are for the older generations, while secularism, modernity and progress are for us. However, the Patriarch bridged this gap with his presence on campus and the above message. So, whenever we question what place tradition can have in modern times, we need only look to the example of His All-Holiness Bartholomew — the representative of the Orthodox Church, which is characterized by conservation — calling for a transformation of the world. A former resident of Lyons Hall, Eva Analitis is a senior majoring in political science and pre-health. Even though she often can’t make up her own mind, that won’t stop her from trying to change yours. She can be reached at eanaliti@nd.edu or @evaanalitis on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, November 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
A birthday behind the scenes Today marks the 55th anniversar y of the founding of The Obser ver. That’s more than five decades of uncovering the truth and reporting it accurately. As members of the newspaper’s current staff, we are honored to continue to ser ve the tri-campus community. Ever y success during these 55 years has been the result of the tireless work of tri-campus students dedicated to producing quality student journalism — this includes editors, production staff, w riters and more. Ever y night, a portion of our staff puts together the final product our readers see in print and online. The nightly production of The Obser ver is one that only those on staff usually become familiar w ith. But in obser vance of this anniversar y, the Obser ver Editorial Board would like to pull back the curtain and invite you into a night of production w ith our staff. The production of our daily content — a physical paper three times a week and two days online — really starts on the weekend, when each department and the Editorial Board plan out content for the week, beginning w ith print production on Sunday. 6 p.m. — Ever y night starts when the columns, stories and articles w ritten by our opinion columnists and by our News, Sports and Scene w riters are submitted for editing. Each department has various deadlines. For example, News w riters must have their stories in by 6 p.m. the night before publication, or as soon as they’re finished. A lso at this time, our layout designers come to our beloved office in the basement of South Dining Hall. This is where they begin designing the layout of the pages on Adobe InDesign, the software we use to format the print newspaper. 7 p.m. — Next, our content undergoes a first round of editing. Our nightly staffers for Sports, News, Scene and View point read through each piece and edit for grammatical errors, structure and clarit y, in addition to vetting for Ox ford commas. The copy editing process also involves fact-checking to ensure that all claims are accurate. Once these edits are made, our associate editors and copy editors mark the file in WordPress as “edited.” At this point, layout designers, associate
editors and copy editors begin requesting pictures and graphics from our Photo and Graphics departments. Our creative teams work to deliver beautiful v isual elements to complement and enhance our journalism. 8 p.m. — Roughly around this time, the edited stories are read once again, this time by the back editor, which is the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor or one of three Assistant Managing Editors. For print production, two editors split the work of the night, w ith one shift scheduled from 7 to 11 p.m., and the second shift from 11 p.m. to whenever the paper is finished. The back editors complete final checks for any errors and give ever y thing a once-over. They make sure all sources are accurate and names are spelled correctly. Then, they mark pieces as “starred.” At this point, the layout designers place the finalized text onto our draft newspaper pages on InDesign, piecing text, graphics, photos and ads together on the page. 9 p.m. — Once headlines, body text, graphics and photos are all in place, our layout designers have the back editor v isually check the printed pages. The back editor w ill mark layout changes that need to be made, such as adding spacing or changing a photo caption. After these changes are made, pages are checked once more to ensure they’re good to print. 10 p.m. — The final step for the majorit y of our production staff is to schedule content for the next day. Each department w rites and schedules the next day’s tweets for their respective pieces, making sure our content also reaches our online audience. Then they schedule all of the articles, columns, Letters to the Editor and stories in WordPress, to be posted to our website early the next day. W hen that’s done, the finished layout designs are uploaded to a Google Drive folder, ready for the back editor to piece together the whole paper. 11 p.m. — The night’s second back shift editor comes into the office to start their shift. Often, the editing and formatting process stretches late into the night, and the speed of production varies depending on department and content for the day. After all the pages have been checked for errors and department staffers have headed home, the back editor goes through each page w ith a fine-tooth comb to catch any errors and finalizes the format of ever y photo and graphic for optimal printing. The back editor then makes
the final PDF to send to our printing partner, The Papers. The editor then updates the website to show the latest content and upload a v irtual version of the finished print edition. The earliest record for this year’s production staff to send the paper to the printing press is 12:14 a.m. The average time the paper is finished is around 3 a.m., but the latest nights have ended at around 6 or 7 a.m. In the morning, all of the stories are published online and the printed papers are delivered to their various locations around the tri-campus. Our social media team schedules posts to Instagram, Tw itter and Facebook to reach our digital audiences in creative and innovative ways. Despite this concise hourly timeline, each night of production is different and comes w ith its ow n unique challenges — breaking news, complications w ith stories, computer crashes, leaking office ceilings, etc. Ever y Thursday before a home game, the Sports, Graphics and Photo departments have a significantly heav ier night as they put together the Irish Insider. Each edition is four to eight additional pages of pure football coverage accompanied by eye-catching photos and graphics. Because of the paper’s length, Insider production nights usually have a later finish time than usual. Putting together a 12, 16 and sometimes 20page paper w ith so many mov ing parts requires an extraordinar y amount of communication, problem-solv ing and teamwork w ithin departments and across the whole production team. It also requires the dedication of all of the students who work for and w ith The Obser ver, w ithout whom the paper and its mission to uncover the truth and report it accurately for the tri-campus communit y wouldn’t and couldn’t ex ist. Thank you to ever yone on our staff for your dedication, time, effort and love for the paper. As we celebrate another year of The Obser ver, we look ahead to the work we w ill continue to do to keep our tri-campus informed and hold our institutions accountable at this moment in histor y. Please consider donating to The Obser ver as we remain the main independent, student-run news source at Notre Dame, Saint Mar y’s and Holy Cross. We could not do the work we do w ithout readers, w riters and staffers, and we hope you w ill continue to support student journalism — as we hope to continue to support all of you.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Thank you, part II Dear student body, Two years ago, I w rote a letter to thank you for the kindness that you’ve show n when the “Mass hy pe v ideo” is aired during the home football games. Now, two years later I’m sitting behind my computer to w rite yet once again. Wow! I’m sometimes asked what I think about the response. Lately, my thoughts have been twofold. First, I’m humbled beyond words to live among the best student body in the countr y. Second, if the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina football game is the last time that such a cheer ever occurred, I would not be sad or wonder what happened. Rather, I’d spend the rest of my life in gratitude for this completely unexpected and w ildly joy ful gift. Unlike my last letter, I have a request for you to
consider. We’re entering into a time of year when the weather gets colder, the days get darker, people begin to feel the stress of the semester and relationships can sometimes feel a bit strained. Often in those moments, we can feel alone, an x ious, depressed or begin to question the value of tr y ing. If that wasn’t enough, we’re bombarded by world events and crises that seemingly amplif y our differences and rarely celebrate our shared humanit y. So, what’s my ask? It would mean the world to me if you would use some portion of the time during the v ideo to look around and offer a hug, a fist bump or a friendly exchange to the people standing near you. Think of it this way. We’re going to do a stadium st yle sign of peace. 12,000 people expressing love and
kindness. W hat an impact! W hile I’m on the topic of making an impact, I’d encourage you to respond to the inv itation of the v ideo and attend Mass on Sunday. W hether it’s in your dorm, the Basilica, or a local parish, pray ing w ith your whole heart in a communit y of faith is an awesome way to be reminded of the love that we’ve received and the love we’re called to share. There may be only t wo home football games left, but we’ve got plent y of Masses to spare at Notre Dame. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for all you are and all that you w ill become. May God bless you now and always. In Notre Dame, Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C. Director of Campus Ministry Nov. 1
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer
Halloween Essentials is a weekly column in the month of October by Scene Writer (and Resident Spooky Boi) Justin George. Celebrate the season with his horror movie recs. As if my movie recommendations weren’t strange enough, here are a handful of the strangest horror movies that I’ve seen. They’re completely insane, so take this as your warning.
“The Beyond” – 1981 This splatter classic directed by Lucio Fulci has no plot to speak of. “The Beyond” is an absolutely wild ride from start to finish, filled with gore, zombies, a five-minute tarantula sequence and tons of bad dialogue. I’ve tried many times to piece together some kind of cohesive story, but there simply isn’t one. However, that doesn’t mean that this movie isn’t a ton of fun. Get a taste for Italian trash horror with this classic from a horror titan.
“Videodrome” – 1983 “Begotten” – 1989 This is by far the most difficult film I’ve covered in this column. It’s aggressively inaccessible, thematically dense and unabashedly arthouse. Utterly horrifying from start to finish, “Begotten” feels like a feverish nightmare that was somehow printed onto a VHS tape. A creation myth for a world best left to the realm of phantasms, this film is not for those unacquainted with the world of the avant-garde.
“House” – 1977 “House” is one of the strangest films I have had the pleasure of seeing. I’m not quite sure how to describe the plot, but here we go: a group of girls decide to visit a haunted house and encounter the ghosts within the house, which pick them off one by one. An absolute gem, this surreal Japanese horror-comedy is not one to miss. Do yourself a favor, get some friends together and watch House; it’ll be an experience you’ll not soon forget.
By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer
Mar vel Studios has been hitting it out of the park lately w ith successful mov ie after successful mov ie. In 2018, Ruben Fleischer directed “Venom,” a film based in the “Spider-Man” universe. The film, despite making more $ 800 million in the box office, garnered negative rev iews. Three years later, famous actor Andy Serkis took the director’s chair and released a sequel to “Venom” titled “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” The mov ie was released Oct. 1, 2021. Taking place one year after the film’s predecessor, journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), who has a sy mbiotic relationship w ith an alien creature named Venom, is contacted by detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) to investigate serial killer Cletus Kasady ( Woody Harrelson). After biting Brock on death row, Kasady gains a sy mbiotic relationship w ith Carnage, the spaw n of Venom, and is now on the run w ith his girlfriend Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris). It is up to Eddie and Venom to stop Kasady and Barrison from w reaking havoc on the cit y. The film features many aspects that are ver y well done. One aspect that was ver y interesting is the relationship between Eddie and Venom. These two characters have the best relationship in the film. They have a buddy-cop relationship
This is probably my favorite Cronenberg film. It took me several viewings to even begin to piece together what was actually happening in this film. “Videodrome” follows the head of a sleazy TV station who is trying to track down the origin of a bizarre, violent broadcast. This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what is actually going on in “Videodrome,” but it’s the best I can do without typing a thousand words and spoiling the entire thing. Check it out, if only for the gnarly special effects courtesy of Academy Award winner Rick Baker.
“The Void” – 2016 What do you get when you combine an understaffed hospital, a small group of patients, one police officer, a mysterious cult and a gateway to another world? The answer: an absolutely killer horror film. An absolute
that is humorous throughout the mov ie. I really enjoyed the relationship bet ween Eddie and Brock, and it strengthened the stor y throughout the film’s hour-and-a-half runtime. I also loved the stor y the film followed. Had I know n that Andy Serkis was the director, I would have probably not enjoyed the film as much as I did. Serkis’ directing was so genius that I genuinely thought I was not watching a Marvel film with his directing. The film has a dark tone, and it really worked, especially with the material used in the story. With the continuation of the Venom storyline, the dark tone was perfectly done with the film. I also thoroughly enjoyed the humor and action in the film, especially the apartment fight between Eddie and Venom. The verbal argument between them was so funny, I almost fell out of my seat in the movie theater. The physical beatdown from Venom to Eddie was also quite humorous. Seeing Eddie being rag-dolled around the apartment and Venom telling Eddie to get out of his own apartment was so well done. While there are a lot of positive aspects in the film, there were some parts that I wish could have been better. One thing that I was hoping to have more of is what Kasady and Barrison’s life was like while they were at Ravencroft Institute. I was wondering what Kasady’s motive in killing people was and why he was so obsessed w ith Eddie in the film. I was ver y uncomfortable w ith how obsessed
must-watch for any fan of Lovecraftian horror, “The Void” is an unforgettable watch featuring some of the best practical effects put to film in recent years.
“A Cure for Wellness” – 2016 “A Cure for Wellness” is an underrated hidden gem of the horror genre. The film’s plot follows a young businessman who is sent to a wellness center in the Swiss Alps to track down the CEO of the company he works for. He slowly begins to discover that the director of the wellness center is hiding a dark secret and makes it his mission to discover what the director is hiding. Director Gore Verbinski and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli put on an absolute masterclass in visual style that results in one of the most beautiful looking films I’ve ever seen.
“Don’t Look Now” – 1973 Nothing is what it seems in this classic from director Nicolas Roeg. The film follows a grieving couple who move to Venice to work on the restoration of a church after the loss of their daughter. The couple encounters two sisters, one of whom claims to be in touch with the couple’s daughter, which the husband scoffs at until he catches a glimpse of a familiar-looking figure along the canal’s edge. Contact Justin George at jgeorge@nd.edu
and stalker-like Kasady was w ith Eddie. Another thing I was not particularly interested in watching was w ith the character of Amanda Wey ing (Michelle Williams). I particularly did not care about her throughout the film, and she had no reason to be in it. Sure, she may seem v ital to Eddie in the film, but she and him were no longer a thing. It was useless to have her in this film. I did not see the mid-credits scene that Mar vel is notorious for in the theater, so I watched it on my ow n time. I was so confused at the end of the scene. It felt like they took a scene from one of the original “Spider-Man” films and added it to the film just for the sake of adding a mid-credits scene. Overall, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was a good successor to the original “Venom” mov ie, and it was a good mov ie that Mar vel added to their long list of films. Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” Director: Andy Serkis Starring: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Naomie Harris, Michelle Williams If you like: “Venom,” “Spider-Man”
EMMA KIRNER | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JIM MOSTER Scene Writer
The full version of this story can be found online. Like other wayward, naturally curious children, I spent much of my youth learning weird facts on the internet. My undeveloped prefrontal cortex soaked up whatever crossed its path: conspiracy theories, VSauce videos, nature documentaries and, of course, philosophy. I read summaries and Wikipedia pages of famous works, browsed philosophy web forms and watched video essays about old and new philosophy. Today, as a PLS major (i.e., a philosopher king), I recognize that most of Internet philosophy actually sucks. People misread philosophers, make absolute claims about ambiguous material, ignore historical context, project themselves onto philosophers, use ill-defined terms to sound smart and so on. While some thoughtful and well-made philosophy content exists, it gets lost in a sea of mediocrity. TikTok is home to some of the worst offenses. Unfortunately, TikTok’s very structure encourages wishy-washy intellectualism. Videos range from 15 seconds to three minutes, a woefully short period for explaining complex ideas. The “Stitch” feature, which lets users piggy-back off other videos, provides a maximum of 5 seconds of context before the original video is interrupted. The comments section is astoundingly bad, with comments in a thread randomly shuffling out-of-order, making uninterrupted and clear discussion impossible. These design choices, along with an algorithm that tightly curates content, work together to encourage poor content and insulate that content from criticism. TikTok philosophy [sic] comes in many flavors. Pick
By MARCELLE COUTO Scene Writer
The full version of this story can be found online. On October 29 and 31, the Browning Cinema screened a type of production yet unheard of at Notre Dame: “Please Look: A Cinematic Opera Experience” was a creative solution to the restrictions of the previous year. Unable to hold live performances, Opera Notre Dame adopted the challenge to develop a film – uniquely combining the thrill of the cinema with the drama of opera, “Please Look” elaborated a sophisticated form of art. According to Kierra Duffy, vocal performance professor and the film’s producer, “Please Look” is a “conceptual opera-esque music video project,” full of “vignettes which each exist as a self-contained moment.” It features American minimalist and postminimalist compositions, branches of music that students are not often exposed to. The minimalist school emerged in the late 1950s in downtown New York; in contrast to the highly dissonant European compositional techniques at this time, the minimalists made more frequent use of consonant motifs. They are called “minimalist” in part for the incessant repetitions of these melodic themes without much variation. Each piece within the program is different and layered with significance. Duffy says individual members of the audience are meant to “glean an original meaning” from the scene, comparing this to the experience of “looking at a Jackson
your poison: A voice-over on a Minecraft parkour video, out-of-context quotes overlaid on a sexy picture of outer space, a disgruntled yet stylish emo speaking for 3 minutes without saying anything at all and so on. These videos do not indoctrinate viewers or tell them what to think; in fact, it’s worse. Viewers leave with an inability to say anything at all. You could spend all of your time on philosophy TikTok and still come away with nothing … except maybe “One must imagine Sisyphus happy,” a Camus quote repeated ad nauseum on TikTok. Officially, TikTok only allows ages 12+ to create an account, yet people younger than 12 years old regularly find a way onto the platform. Many of the people eating up TikTok’s philosophy are clueless kids just like I was on ye olde internet. The untrained, unread eye cannot distinguish between attention-mongering sophists and actual educators. Even worse, many creators incorporate sex appeal or attractive aesthetics into their content, further distracting the mind from critical thought. Philosophy, historically aimed at questioning assumptions, is now creating a new generation of uncritical thinkers on TikTok. One way that TikTok philosophers grow their audience is by putting humor and entertainment over education. For example, the user @Rousshoe makes snappy videos about widely-referenced philosophical concepts while showing off his body. Even though Rousshoe’s videos do not intend to educate, they fool TikTok users into believing they understand philosophers if they can recite a few sentences about each of them. Viewers (especially younger viewers) subscribe to Rousshoe and similar creators to learn philosophy, one 15-second snippet at a time. TikTok’s philosopher-comedians occasionally create
educational content to express something important or affirm their intellectual credentials. Unfortunately, these videos tend to be misleading or ideological. In a video arguing that overpopulation is not a real threat to the climate, Rousshoe attempts to root climate hawkishness in Malthus: “Malthus … thought that if poor people kept having kids the world was gonna end.” No one who has actually read Malthus would come away with such a notion. Malthus argued that overpopulation always corrects itself through disease, famine and war. He even believed that these scourges were divine gifts — God’s way of ensuring that Creation would never be overrun by the masses. Rousshoe either doesn’t know or doesn’t care because his comment will easily slip by most of his audience. He gets viewers, and his viewers get to name-drop Malthus in their next discussion of climate change. Not every TikTok philosopher falls into the Rousshoe crowd. Many of them produce content with good intentions and effort. At the same time, TikTok’s limitations make even the best philosophy creators prone to mediocrity. The time limit forces creators to explain what a philosopher is “all about,” as if such a thing can be easily summarized or is uncontroversial. Moreover, TikTok creators obscure philosophy as an act, or something you do. You cannot opine on Camus if you have never read Camus and wrestled with the words on his pages. Nor can you debate and discuss his ideas in the unnavigable TikTok comments sections. Thus, TikTok is functionally the opposite of a Socratic seminar. You must listen to a reductionist point-by-point recap of ideas, like if your Philosophy 101 class was also a thirst trap.
Pollock painting.” The introspective nature of the film is “meant to be an abstract and even spiritual experience, a platform where people reflect and digest the events of the last one and a half years.” Mary Katherine Bucko, Catherine Hyry and Lauren Lundy began the show with the piece “Before I Enter,” from David Lang’s “Shelter” oratorio (2005). The premise is simple, being a narration of someone’s daily rituals before they enter their house. An eerie flashing of lamps, varying tones of light and the monotone utterance of the text adds a layer of fear and suspense. Jeron Burney and Lauren Lundy sing the following piece, a climatic and intense love duet from Philip Glass’s “Akhanaten” (1983). Each lover searches for the other within the chirping woods, arriving at their destination only to circle continuously around each other, unable to make contact. The music likewise shares the “circling” theme, dramatically extending the resolution of the conflict. Megan Meyer solos “Please Look,” a title which the film derives. Originally from Michael Gordon’s opera “Lost Objects” (2001), this haunting scene chills the spine as the soprano repeats “Missing child please look then forward on” and proceeds to describe the incident through an email. Stumbling desperately through the woods, her urgent cry appears to mimic a siren. Toward the end of the piece in particular, one may recall the sensation of the Doppler effect as the music gradually comes to an end. “This is Prophetic” from “Nixon in China” (1987), may be the most relevant of the composition, as the
words of the singer could be reiterated for our present time. Margaret Foster plays Pat Nixon, who has brilliant lines of music such as: “Why regret life, which is so much like a dream?,” “Let luxury dissolve to the atmosphere” and “Let routine dim the edge of mortality.” Scenes of Nixon’s visit to China flash on and off the screen, a major event at the time given that the United States had seen nothing of China for nearly two decades. Emorja Roberson and Thomas Valle-Hoag sing the “Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan of Arc” (1981). The words are almost like echoes in the mind of Joan, recalling how the saints appeared and how they consistently told her to “speak boldly.” Erica Forbes solos the Magnificat from John Adam’s “El Niño” (2000), a dream-like interpretation of the gospel of Luke’s words. Featured in white for her purity, Mary is surrounded by women in black who accompany her through the song. Next, a large group performs “Things Heaven and Hell,” a ritual-like scene with largely experimental music. Nearing the end of the film, Catherine Hyry, Lauren Lundy, Sounak “Raj” Das and Howard Eckdahl surround a bonfire to perform the beautiful and somber “Have mercy, my God,” from “The Little Match Girl Passion” (2008). It is a moving prayer, but the occasional panels to the fire seem to convey a hellish imagery, leaving the audience to wonder what the characters are seeking salvation from.
Contact Jim Moster at jmoster@nd.edu
Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer
Classifieds
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last
Happy Birthday: Take the edge off, relax and think about the best way to get what you want. Empathy and understanding, mixed with genuine charm and positive suggestions, will help you make your way through any pitfalls you encounter this year. Be courageous but kind when opposition comes your way. How you make others feel will determine the response you receive. Balance and equality are essential. Your numbers are 7, 10, 16, 21, 24, 38, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Join forces with someone who shares your point of view. Together you can make a difference. A discussion will lead to a broader understanding of your long-term goals and give you comfort in knowing what’s possible. Romance is on the rise. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t count on something that isn’t a sure thing. Ask questions and insist on verification in writing. Evaluate your relationships, and don’t hesitate to distance yourself from anyone who doesn’t play fair or offer something worthwhile in return. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think matters through, make decisions for the right reasons, and pay attention to and learn from the experiences you encounter. When in doubt, check the facts, budget appropriately and set a course that feels comfortable. Think big, but live within your means. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Hide your emotions until you gather the facts. Knowing what you are up against will make it easier to do what’s best for you. Don’t give in to someone using manipulative tactics. Think outside the box, and you’ll find a good alternative. 2 stars LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A positive attitude will help you bypass a stressful situation. Upset will lead to a change that doesn’t fit your schedule. Do your best to get along, and be prepared to do things on your own if necessary. Selfimprovement is favored. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pay attention to how you manage money. Overspending on things you don’t need will lead to regret. Put more emphasis on what’s meaningful to you and how you can utilize your time effectively. Make changes that improve your domestic situation. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set rules, boundaries and incentives to avoid opposition. Listen to suggestions, and find a way to incorporate requests. Getting along with others will be half the battle. Sincerity and acting in good faith will encourage success and long-term benefits. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take a moment to assess situations, but don’t linger too long. Decisive action will show how capable you are and highlight your leadership qualities. Mindfulness, precision and honesty will encourage others to back the decisions you make. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emphasize what’s important, and be realistic regarding how much you spend. Getting the most for the least by doing the work yourself instead of paying others is favored -- if you know what you are doing. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Forward motion will keep you out of trouble. Keep your comments to yourself, and avoid wasting time on senseless battles that slow you down. The progress you make and how you treat others during the process are both essential. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look over the possibilities and map out a course that will help you reach your destination. Refuse to let a change of plans someone makes throw you off. Put in a call to someone who always lifts your spirits. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There is no clear-cut way to handle sensitive situations. Take the time to understand how others feel, and ask questions that offer others the chance to develop a solution without being told what to do. Aim to please, not punish.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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SPORTS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Is baseball growing ugly? David Kramer Sports Writer
Following one of the most controversial pitching appearances of the last decade, Max Scherzer emerged from the ninth inning of NLDS Game 5 utterly exhausted. The raw tenacity of the Dodgers ace carries its advantages; openness about his fatigue is certainly not one of them. So the widely publicized conversations about Scherzer’s heav y workload becoming too much to bear forced baseball fans to lend an ear. An ever-increasing shift from starting pitching to “bullpen games” across Major League Baseball placed the tired Scherzer in a widely forsaken position. Rigorous stretches of games or awful starting pitcher performances often encourage managers to rest their rotation and overwork their bullpen, not the other way around. So why, oh why, would the Dodgers allow for Scherzer to close NLDS Game 5 after he not-sosubtly hinted at his fatigue? Better yet, in the age of advanced biomechanics and injury prevention, why are utterly exhausted starting pitchers thrown into big situations at all? A hint at the answer came in Scherzer’s interview after Game 1 of the NLCS, one that countless fans expected him to start. Due to his persistent fatigue, Dodgers manager David Roberts opted to start none other than the household name we all know and love: Corey Knebel. The nod to the “bullpen game” stirred a f lurry of questions from reporters about Scherzer’s take on the future of his position. “You want to see starting pitchers,” Scherzer replied. “You want to see pitchers pitch deep. I think that’s best for the fans, best for the players, everybody involved. I think that’s how we all envisioned the games.” Within this response Scherzer half-heartedly hid his real opinion under the innocent veil of the “fan’s perspective.” He stood in contention with Roberts who, along with any manager in playoff competition, will win at all costs. Aside from his obvious defense of his 14-year position, clearly
something else that the world “envisioned” for baseball was at play. It was here that Scherzer’s stance epitomized a rising issue in MLB and, I would argue, professional sports as a whole. Aesthetics. Branding. Player marketability. Fleeting concepts in a baseball landscape sharply focused on competitive advantage. Over the past three seasons, baseball has sparked a marketability and viewership overhaul at the league level. Sure, reducing the number of allotted pitching changes and imposing the three-batter rule will be the first wave of a massive sea change. Great. But fans do not cheer for Major League Baseball. Fans root, root, root for the home team and the so-called franchise players within them. Shifting to bullpen games nearly cuts the number of marketable players per team by half. It is for this very reason that the Tampa Bay Rays continue to shock the world with remarkable success to the echoes of a barren Tropicana Field. Fans adore the familiar hero trope, and the pressure for the most beloved players to satisf y that trope is everpresent today. The story of a cherished veteran starting pitcher overcoming exhaustion and emptying the tank in the final outs of a huge game likely encouraged Madison Bumgarner to pitch in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series on two days’ rest. It likely drove Scherzer to pitch against the Giants in this year’s NLDS Game 5. But according to Scherzer himself, these big opportunities are few and far between in baseball, and fans love starting pitching most of all. As data analytics continue to give teams more reasons to trust relievers, we are left to wonder about the state of baseball aesthetics as we know them. This baseball offseason carries the weight of baseball’s beauty on its shoulders, one that should be weighed in delicate balance alongside win-at-all-costs decisions. Bear this balance in mind as this year’s World Series, in which over sixty percent of innings have been pitched by relievers, concludes this week. I think that’s best for the fans, best for the players, best for everybody involved. Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu
Zwiller: Reacting to the first CFP poll Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
Way back in September, I wrote a column about my Way Too Early CFP Picks. They were, obviously, way too early. How early? Well, I had Alabama in first, then Oregon, Iowa (I am an NFL fanalyst for a reason) and Georgia. But, obviously, college football has changed a lot since then. Alabama lost to Texas A&M, Cincinnati ranks second in all the land, and Michigan State is the only remaining undefeated Big 10 team. And with the first CFP Committee Poll out, I want to react and do my best to project the CFP going forward. Georgia Georgia being first was not a surprise by any means. Their defense is ranked by College Football References SRS as an 18.98, which is almost five points better than the next best team (Wisconsin 14.15). The question for Georgia is more their offense than anything else. They have an OSRS of 6.96; well above average, but it sits in the top-20. I had thought that Georiga was essentially a lock to make the CFP, and the committee has essentially confirmed that theory. They have four regular season games all against unranked opponents and should make it to the SEC Championship game without a problem. Path to the Playoff: Keep on keepin’ on. Alabama I absolutely hate Alabama being here. Alabama has one win against a currently-ranked opponent. Both Miami and Florida have dropped out of the rankings since Alabama beat them early on in the season. To me, this feels sort of like a way for the committee to have Alabama in the playoffs should they win against Georgia in the SEC Championship. However, that is why I do not like the pick. A one-loss Alabama team should have been fifth or sixth, just outside the playoffs with the potential to get in. Not firmly entrenched within the CFP with a .500 record against Committee ranked teams. Path to the Playoff: Win out and win the SEC Championship game. Michigan State I had seen a lot of arguments being made for the Spartans to be second in the rankings and
I was okay with it. They were undefeated (albeit, some close victories) and had a signature upset win over Michigan. I think that three is a good spot for the Spartans; they still have a big game against Ohio State ahead of them, but have a proven track record. My only worry about said track record is that the Spartans have had some close calls. They beat Nebraska (in OT) and Indiana University by a combined 43-35 who are a combined 5-12. Path to the Playoff: Win out (notable matchups at Purdue, at Ohio State, at Penn State) and secure a Big 10 Championship. Oregon This one caught me offguard. I 100% understand Oregon staying in the top5 or top-6, but fourth felt high when the committee still had multiple undefeated teams left to rank. I think that Oregon is here largely so that in the case of either Cincinnati or Oklahoma (or Wake Forest) going undefeated, the committee has the precedent of Oregon in the top-4. Path to the Playoff: Win out and win the Pac-12 Championship. Ohio State Ohio State really has to be kicking themselves because of their loss to the Ducks. Had that game ended a different way, the Buckeyes would likely be firmly in the CFP (and the Ducks would be out). Luckily, Ohio State has an easy path to get into the top-4. Path to the Playoff: Win out (notable matchups home to Purdue and MSU, at Michigan) and get a Big-10 Championship. It would also help if Oregon won out, as their only loss would look a lot better. Cincinnati This feels like a slap in the face to the Bearcats. In the AP Poll, Cincinnati was ranked second and is currently undefeated with a signature win over ND. I guess in the committee’s eyes, it was not enough to merit being in the top-4. I’m not going to lie, this feels like the committee saying that Cincinnati is not going to make it to the CFP. They have done everything they have been asked to and they landed outside of the CFP anyway. The Bearcats need to win out and pray for some chaos above them. Path to the Playoff: Win out, win the AAC crown and hope that Oregon and
Alabama lose to clear space. Michigan Personally, I would have put Michigan after Oklahoma because, again, Oklahoma is undefeated and Michigan is not. However, I honestly love the take. Oklahoma has zero wins against a ranked opponent and has looked terrible in some of their games. I do think that benching Spencer Rattler may help the Sooners, but they will need to win out (including beating #11 Oklahoma State). Michigan may not have a signature win, and they do have a loss, but they have looked a lot better for most of the season. Path to the Playoff: Ohio State needs to beat Michigan State, and then Michigan needs to beat Ohio State. Then Michigan would need to beat the Big Ten West champion (likely Wisconsin). Oklahoma Oklahoma being eight surprised me because I had figured that the Sooners, by virtue of being undefeated, would rank above Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan. The committee has set up Oklahoma with the perfect way to put themselves in CFP contention. It should escape the notice of no one that Oklahoma State and Baylor are ranked eleventh and twelfth respectively. Oklahoma plays both coming down the stretch. Path to the Playoff: Win out AND then take the Big-12 title. Oklahoma also needs the Big Ten to cannibalize itself, and for good measure, Cincinnati to lose as well. Wake Forest I had expected the Demon Deacons to come in at ten, but nine makes sense too. I think the committee had to place them ahead of the one-loss Notre Dame but after the undefeated Oklahoma and Cincinnati. Path to the Playoff: Win out AND have both the Big Ten and Big-12 cannibalize itself, and have Georgia win the SEC Championship, and a Cincinnati loss would not hurt. Notre Dame This likely is not the newspaper to say it in, but realistically Notre Dame is not going to make the CFP. Because the Irish will likely have a losing record against CFP ranked teams, they do not have a chance to get a statement win. Path to the Playoff: Win out AND utter chaos. Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu
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nd men’s Soccer
Irish end regular season with defeat against North Carolina, look ahead to ACC Tournament Observer Sports Staff
Notre Dame men’s soccer dropped the final game of their regular season Friday, falling to North Carolina 3-1 in Chapel Hill. It was a particularly rough game for the Irish, who just needed a win, as well as a Clemson win (which indeed would occur after Notre Dame had already been defeated) to seal the overall number one seed in the ACC tournament for the first time since 2014. But instead it was the Tar Heels that exploded out of the gates, scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the match.
First it was Tega Ikoba to find the back of the net, nodding home a cross from Milo Garvanian with a simple close range header into the bottom corner of the Irish net. Moments after the Irish kicked off after the goal, Ikoba burst down the wing, put in a cross with the outside of his boot and watched as Ken Bellini pushed a finish past Notre Dame sophomore goalie Bryan Dowd for his second goal contribution. Things would get worse for the Irish right before halftime, as the Tar Heels’ Alex Rose put his name on the scoresheet with a goal of his own in the 42nd minute. Victor Olofsson
picked up the ball near the halfway line and drove straight at the Notre Dame defense, eventually picking a pass out to Rose, who managed to sneak a shot across the face of the goal and just inside the far post. Notre Dame did get a goal back in the second half by way of junior midfielder Ethan O’Brien, who tapped in an empty net finish as a result of some stellar build up play by senior forward Jack Lynn and sophomore forward Daniel Russo. The pairing played a nice one-two to put Lynn in on goal, and when Lynn’s shot was saved the ball fell right to O’Brien who slotted it home.
Unfortunately, despite the Irish’s best efforts in the waning moments of the match, the O’Brien goal proved to only be a consolation, as the scoreline would end 3-1 in favor of the Tar Heels. Up next for the Irish is the ACC tournament, which begins play Wednesday. The Irish will be facing North Carolina State, who will be making their second visit to Alumni Stadium after they lost to Notre Dame 1-0 in South Bend earlier this season. Freshman midfielder Luke Hille leads the way for the Wolfpack, having chipped in six goals and an assist on the season. He’s in
red-hot form as well, having scored North Carolina State’s only goal in each of their last two matches. English senior Kuda Muskwe will likely spearhead the attack, with ten points to his name on the season. The Irish will be looking to recreate their September 17 clash with the Wolfpack, as Notre Dame walked away winners late behind graduate student Dawson McCartney’s 84th minute goal. Notre Dame men’s soccer will take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack this Wednesday at Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcasted on the ACC Network.
FANTASY CORNER
Observer Fantasy Corner Week Nine: Devastating injuries cause teams to rethink By SAM OUH AJ, GEHRIG SM ALSTIG, JOHN K ALEMKERIAN, JAMISON COOK Spor ts Writers
Week 9 is already here, and after some devastating injuries to the likes of Derrick Henry and Jameis Winston, fantasy owners are scrambling to fix their teams. Don’t worry, we are here to help at Fantasy Corner and will be taking a look at what players can help give your team similar production! Sam Ouhaj Must Start: Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders Coming off the bye week, Derrek Carr wants to continue his red hot season against a mediocre Giants team. While the Giants’ defense has been their bright spot, their secondary has let up a tremendous amount of big plays through the air, which Carr thrives at. Carr has been consistent this season and is averaging 18.8 points per game which puts him at QB14. Carr is rostered in 55.5% of leagues, which means if you owned someone like Jameis Winston, who is set to miss the rest of the regular season, Carr would be a solid addition to your team. Play Carr with confidence this Sunday and expect him to break his season-high 24 points this game. Must Sit: Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings When healthy, Dalvin Cook is a top-three running back. However, he has been battling an ankle injury all season and was held to just 7.8 points against the Dallas defense. The Vikings are a mess and are set to face the
Baltimore Ravens coming off their bye week. The Ravens currently have the league’s fourthbest rush defense, and while Cook should be in your starting lineup every week, I advise you to play it differently and bench him. Things will get better for the former FSU running back in Week 10 when they face the Los Angeles Chargers, who have a tough time stopping the run, but for now, sit Cook and see how the Vikings try to revive their offense. Who to Pick Up: Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots(Rostered in 66.7% of leagues) John Kalemkerian Must Start: Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets If you had Mike White leading the Jets to their second win of the season over the red-hot Bengals on your week 8 bingo board, congrats. The third-year quarterback, starting his first NFL game, has hopes running high again in New York. Of more relevance for fantasy managers, however, is White’s lead back Michael Carter. Considered a steal in the fourth round of this year’s draft, Carter has established himself as an intriguing fantasy option. Of even more relevance for PPR leagues, Carter has caught 8 and 9 passes out of the backfield in the two games that White has started, giving him a relatively high floor for the rest of the season. A quick turnaround for this week’s matchup with the Colts isn’t ideal, but Carter offers enough upside that he should be starting in your lineups, especially with the rash of RB byes and injuries (looking at you, Derrick Henry owners).
Must Sit: Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos Sutton falls on my must-sit list for two reasons. First, his production has been steadily declining this season, mirroring the play of both Teddy Bridgewater and really the entire Broncos offense. Sutton saw only four targets last week in what should have been a good matchup with Washington as Denver failed to get much going through the air, relying on a ground game to pull out the win. The second reason Sutton belongs on your bench this week is based on his matchup. He will be shadowed by Dallas’ ballhawking rookie Trevon Diggs for the majority of the game, limiting his upside and likely causing Bridgewater, one of the more conservative quarterbacks in the league, to avoid throwing his way at all. Sutton will continue to produce later this season, but he’s unlikely to break out of his slump in this week’s matchup. Who to Pick Up: Adrian Peterson, RB, Tennessee Titans (Rostered in 0.1% of leagues) Gehrig Smalstig Must Start: Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins This should be obvious, as Gesicki is a tight end that should be starting every single week, but he doesn’t seem to be getting the attention that he deserves. Some might be scared away by his mere 4 targets this past week, but his matchup is considerably better this week and he has scored over 15 points on 4 occasions this year. Take this as a message to not only start Gesicki this week, but for the rest of the year, without hesitation. You
could try and play matchups if you’re fortunate enough to have another top 10 TE, but Gesicki’s production will likely slot him just below the elite TE tier by the end of the year. Must Sit: Marquez Callaway, WR, New Orleans Saints Following along with my theme this week, this could be a decision that lasts through the end of the year, and Callaway could even be a drop candidate. The preseason hype has not turned into much outside of one solid performance, even with Michael Thomas still not making it to the field. Now, especially with a backup/third string QB at the helm in New Orleans, there can’t be many expectations for Callaway outside of a couple catches per game. The only way he could provide another solid week is by way of a touchdown or two, which is entirely unpredictable considering his red zone production thus far. Who to Pick Up: DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins Jamison Cook Must Start: Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Atlanta Falcons The kick-returner/wide receiver turned running back has been on a tear since Week 2, and he has continued electric play in the two weeks following the Falcons’ bye in Week 6. He is averaging 19.2 points per game in PPR formats, a huge number for someone who was not really on anyone’s fantasy radars prior to the season. While his rushing numbers — his season-high is 60 rushing yards — are relatively pedestrian, he has made up for it
in the receiving game with at least five targets in every game since Week 2. He has seven total touchdowns on the year, and with Falcons’ star receiver Calvin Ridley stepping away from the game for mental health reasons, Patterson is sure to see even more of a share of Atlanta’s offensive touches. Patterson is a must-start going forward and could be key in helping your fantasy team make a playoff push. Must Sit: Jared Cook, TE, Los Angeles Chargers At a position that was incredibly thin to begin the season, Cook provided some hope for fantasy managers that missed out on the top 3-5 tight ends. He has, however, become completely touchdown-dependent and very inconsistent from week to week. He only has three double-digit PPR performances all year, and when he doesn’t find the end zone he is averaging just 5.9 fantasy points. Unfortunately for those managers that picked Cook up early in the year with the hope that he would flourish alongside QB Justin Herbert, this just hasn’t been and won’t be the case. Cook should remain on your bench and you should look for TE help elsewhere as the playoffs approach. Who to Pick Up: Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets (Rostered in 5.3% of leagues) Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, Gehrig Smalstig at esmalsti@nd.edu, and John Kalemkerian at jkalemke @nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
O-Line Continued from page 16
gone from the most questionable part of the team to recipients of the game ball on Saturday. The unit posted a solid performance, allowing Coan to contribute in both the pass and rush game. A Coan rushing touchdown and a 91-yard touchdown scamper from junior running back Kyren Williams would have been largely impossible without the line’s contribution. Heading into the matchup against the Tar Heels, head coach Brian Kelly was more optimistic about their performance, as he saw the group start to come together against archrival USC. “I think what I was most pleased with is, first of all, you’re gaining some continuity on the offensive line, where essentially that left side is working together now, which helps the entire group [of] five working together,” Kelly said. He was most impressed with the line’s ability to shift gears, especially after the Trojans came out in a 3-5-3 formation. “That’s a lot of identification. That’s a lot of communication. It’s a lot of work upfront,” Kelly said. “I thought the adjustments that they
made in-game were really outstanding. They picked up things as the game went on. There are some things that we’ll need to clean up, but I think that that’s what stands out to me more than anything else is their ability to make the in-game adjustments, and work really well together and the communication was outstanding.” The line used natural instincts to make adjustments, which indicates a level of comfort with their position. Coan touched on the idea of focusing on one’s job during the game, and this mentality aided the offensive line in their performance against the Tar Heels. “We’ve just got to continue to execute,” Coan said. “No matter what the score is, in every single game, every time we touch a field, we want to go down and score points. And we just try to do our jobs and just keep focus.” Kelly noted that the team is improving week by week, and the offensive line is a large contributor. Kelly said he thought there was a good balance on offense and defense against UNC, and that “it’s an improving football team.” Speaking of improvements, the offensive line’s development allowed the offense to expand its playbook and
experiment with what works best for the unit. Kelly mentioned this advancement in his post-game assessment. “The performance was as good as we’ve had offensively in terms of run-pass,” Kelly said. “We opened up some things by getting the ball out on the perimeter. They were loading the box, and that really helped. Those were an extension of our run game, and it really helped open things up for us and give us the balance.” With the offensive line no longer being much cause for concern, the team can continue to evolve into a more effective squad. The matchup against UNC was the first chapter of this new team dynamic, with the group of linemen having the potential to be the answer to Notre Dame’s remaining offensive questions. “We had not had those answers before,” Kelly said. “Spreading the formations, getting the ball out on the perimeter, throwing the ball in the seams and then allowing that to set up runs were some of the answers that Tommy was finding while they were trying to take something away.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu Paid Advertisement
W Soccer Continued from page 16
time-wasting, offered the best chance of the final stages, but the Tiger wall held firm. Ultimately, as head coach Nate Norman effectively surmised after the game, the performance by the Irish simply wasn’t good enough in crucial aspects of the game: “We felt like we weren’t picking up a lot of second balls, and they were generating a lot more possession than we were, but I think some rest will help us,” Norman said. “We learn a bit ever y game and we’ll tr y to figure out ways we can combat some of the challenges we get to see in the conference.” Norman touched on the issue of fatigue, with the team playing its third match in a week, and how it affected his side’s play: “I think we were a little tired today. It was a long road trip with those three games [referencing the Irish’s swing away to Virginia, Duke, and North Carolina over the last two weeks], and we played a little bit tired and I think we need to recover,” he said. “We have some bumps and bruises; we need to sort those
out to get us ready. We love playing in the ACC, but it’s definitely a challenge and a gauntlet that sometimes can get you worn down a little bit, and I think we showed that today. We fought, we gave ourselves a chance, but it definitely wasn’t our best performance.” Norman’s assessment, while blunt, is hard to dispute. Two of Clemson’s three goals arguably don’t occur if not for individual defensive lapses, which had been almost completely non-existent for the Irish back five prior to today. As Norman touched on with the issue of second balls, the midfield seemed to be constantly slightly behind the play, both when Notre Dame was on the front foot and when Clemson started their attacks. The attacking patterns looked repetitive and seemed to be figured out by the Tiger defense early on. This was not the Irish team that entered fall break on an eight-game winning streak. Hopefully, with a clear schedule and as a result some much-needed rest ahead for Notre Dame, we’ll see that dominant version of the Irish in the first round of tournament play later this month.
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Top Ten Continued from page 16
soccer national championship — it was difficult to pick between three Irish titles in this sport, as all were dominant seasons and performances, but the 2010 championship moved Notre Dame into second all-time, joining UNC as the only other program with three or more women’s soccer championships. With the honorable mentions having been given their shoutout, let’s delve into those accomplishments which made the top 10 list.
10. Notre Dame Men’s and Women’s Golf break drought Admittedly, this one is slightly cheating the definition of a top ten ‘moment’ as they happened in different years, but they involved such amazing efforts from two programs that hadn’t experienced national success in a long time — if at all. In 2004, the Notre Dame men’s golf team broke a 38-year NCAA Tournament drought with an absolutely thrilling comeback in the Big East Championships. Trailing defending conference champions Virginia Tech by five strokes entering the final round of play, the Irish made up just one in the first nine holes. However, in a miraculous effort, the Irish lapped the Hokies by a ten-stroke margin on the back nine to claim the title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Making the victory more sweet was that it took place at Warren Golf Course — the home for the Irish golfers. Annie Brusky had the coverage in 2004. In 2011, Notre Dame women’s golf added their own droughtbreaking accomplishment, qualifying for the first NCAA tournament in program history. The victory was less dramatic, as Notre Dame led throughout the event and claimed a 13-shot victory. But the breakthrough under head coach Susan Holt paved the way for groundbreaking success for the program — the women’s golf team has gone on to make the NCAA Tournament in 10 of the past 12 years. Just over a decade ago, it was Vicky Jacobson detailing women’s golf outstanding accomplishment.
9. Fencing dynasty Notre Dame has created a reputation for themselves as a fencing school with their recent success. Both the men’s and women’s programs had established their own success before the sport changed to co-ed championships. The Irish were a constant presence, winning titles in 1994, 2003, 2005 and 2011. But just in the last five years, the Irish have begun to establish a true dynasty. Spurred by back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, the Irish have claimed three national titles in five years (with one national championships having been cancelled). In 2017, Notre Dame dominated the competition with a 25-point victory, with a recordsetting 186 points. A year later, the Irish reloaded after being hit hard by graduation and notched a 185-point effort in the national
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championships to claim consecutive championships. In 2021, the Irish returned to the top with an otherworldly individual performance, claiming four of six individual titles. They broke their record by recording 201 points in the 2021 championships. The title wins were reported on by Jack Concannon, Charlotte Edmonds and Jamison Cook.
2-0 early, but fought back and the score was eventually leveled at 3-3. Then, when overtime felt inevitable, Jake Evans converted a last-second offensive opportunity, scoring with six seconds to play. Evans’s iconic arms-raised celebration as the Irish celebrated a Frozen Four victory over a historic rival cemented the Cardiac Kids’ spot on this list.
8. 1973 Sugar Bowl
6. Yared Nuguse in 2019
The 1973 Irish were a dominant force in college football. Having not won a national title since 1966, Notre Dame opened the season ranked eighth in the country. Only one opponent in the regular season stayed within a possession of the Irish, as the boys in the blue and gold ran roughshod over their schedule. This set up an undefeated Sugar Bowl clash with No. 1 Alabama. There are a lot of classic games in the vaunted history of Notre Dame football, but the 1973 Sugar Bowl ranks among the best. Notre Dame led for the majority of the contest, but it was a back-andforth affair. The game featured two missed extra points, a 93-yard kickoff return from the Irish, and a quarterback touchdown reception for a late 23-21 Alabama lead. Late in the game, the Irish would regain a 24-23 lead with just over four minutes to go on a field goal. The Irish got a stop but were pinned on their own one-yardline, facing a 3rd and 10. Risking a safety that would have lost the game, Notre Dame put the game in the hands of their offense by attempting a pass. In one of the most famous individual plays in Irish history, quarterback Tom Clements found backup tight end Robin Weber on a long pass to get the first down and help Notre Dame run out the clock. Notre Dame subsequently was named the national champion by the Associated Press.
Nuguse has enjoyed incredible success throughout his Notre Dame career, but his 2019 campaign was something special, particularly in the outdoor season. Nuguse led the distance medley relay team to ACC and National titles, as they were named AllAmericans. Individually, Nuguse starred in the 1500 meter race. He claimed the ACC title in this event as well and went into the national championships harboring hopes of claiming the ultimate honor. With about a hundred meters to go, Nuguse was running in fourth place, attempting to maintain pace in a lead pack of five athletes. However, as it turned out, that pace became unnecessary, as Nuguse’s finishing kick was unbelievable. Trailing by several meters in the final 50, Nuguse quickly made up the ground and with a lean, he completed a huge comeback to become the national champion. Nuguse has gone on to set the NCAA record in the event (3:34.68) and met the Olympic standard, although a pre-race injury prevented him from competing in Tokyo. A fantastic career, punctuated by this outstanding effort as a sophomore in 2019 earned Nuguse the #6 spot on this list.
7. Notre Dame Cardiac Kids
Hockey
One of the more electric monikers ever associated with a Notre Dame team, the 2018 Irish hockey squad earned this nickname with an absolutely stunning five consecutive postseason victories that came on game-winning goals in overtime or the final minute of regulation. Although the pursuit of a national championship came up short on the final leg of the journey, the Irish took home a conference championship in their inaugural Big 10 season and enraptured Irish fans across campus and across the country. The streak was even more unlikely after Notre Dame skidded to end the regular season, losing four of their final five games. Then the Irish beat Penn State in the Big 10 semis on a goal with 31 seconds to go, followed by an overtime victory to claim the conference title versus Ohio State. The momentum carried into the NCAA Tournament, with an overtime conquest of Michigan Tech, and a game-winner with 27 seconds to play against Providence. Bumping this absurd streak up to #7 on the list was the Final Four victory for the Irish. Against rival Michigan, the Irish went down
5. Men’s Basketball Breaks UCLA’s 88-game winning streak Although meetings nowadays are rare occasions, Notre Dame and UCLA used to boast a ferocious basketball rivalry. The Irish and Bruins battled it out several times a year, with a bevy of instant classics joining the litany of clashes between the programs over the seasons. The Irish, however, enjoyed no greater victory than in January of 1974. Notre Dame welcomed UCLA to South Bend, with the Bruins sporting an 88-game winning streak. Down 11 points with under four minutes to play, the Irish didn’t appear likely candidates to prevent UCLA from stretching the streak to 89 games. Notre Dame also had trailed by 17 points on multiple occasions. However, a full-court press frazzled the Bruins, as, after an Irish basket, they failed to get the ball past midcourt twice, and Notre Dame converted both turnovers into points. Down by just five, the Irish continued to harass UCLA, inducing a pair of traveling calls and scoring two more baskets to trim the deficit to 70-69. Then, Notre Dame drew a charging foul and made the eventual game-winner with 29 seconds to play. They held UCLA scoreless over the final 3 minutes and 32 seconds, ending on a 12-0 run to shock the world. The victory came just 20 days after Notre Dame beat Alabama in the aforementioned
1973 Sugar Bowl, making it a celebratory month of athletic achievements in South Bend. Matt Lozar looked back on the victory for the Observer.
4. Arike Ogunbowale’s backto-back buzzer-beaters Every basketball player dreams of hitting buzzer-beaters at the biggest stage, and for collegiate stars, there is no bigger stage than the Final Four. And Arike Ogunbowale not only accomplished that dream — she did it twice. First, against historic rival UConn in the semifinals, Ogunbowale put on a show, scoring 27 points in the high-scoring affair. After the Irish forced overtime, the game was tied 89-89 late in the extra period, Ogunbowale dribbled until the clock went under five seconds, jabbed toward the basket, and pulled up for the game-winning jumper. One second remained, but UConn couldn’t find the basket, and Notre Dame advanced to the national championship. The title game was lower scoring, but the Irish trailed by 13 at the half. They staged a furious thirdquarter rally to tie the score, which remained the case down the stretch. Mississippi State missed a shot with 25 seconds to go, and the Irish corralled the rebound. But with seven seconds to play, the Irish turned it over, seemingly signaling the Irish’s doom. However, Notre Dame forced a turnover on a wild fast break attempt and got the ball back with three seconds to play. The Irish ran an inbounds play and Ogunbowale got the short pass, dribbled and launched a slightly off-balance three from close to the corner. The shot swished through and the Irish claimed their second national title. Ogunbowale’s heroics will forever go down as among the clutchest postseason efforts in the history of Notre Dame athletics.
3. Molly Seidel’s landmark victories Molly Seidel will forever go down as one of the greatest athletes in Notre Dame history. Her accomplishments for both the Irish and the USA national team earn her a deserved legacy as one of the best to ever compete for the Irish, regardless of sport. Seidel dominated ACC competition during her time at Notre Dame, but it was in 2015 that she took the next step. Competing in the 1000 meter race, Seidel claimed the firstever individual national title for the women’s program. She wasn’t done there, however, continuing her landmark accomplishments into 2016 and adding a pair of indoor national titles to her name, these in the 3000 and 5000-meter races. Her efforts earned her the Mary Garber Award, given to the top female athlete in the ACC. Seidel continued to stun the world after her collegiate career. In her first-ever marathon, she made Team USA. The Olympic event was only her third-ever marathon — and she claimed the bronze medal. She was the first American woman to medal in the event in 17 years. In the world of athletics, Seidel remains a Fighting
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Irish and American legend.
2. The 2001 Women’s Basketball Championship Notre Dame women’s basketball had come close before 2001, reaching the final in 1997. The men’s program had had similar frustration with close calls, and all-in-all, the victory on the national stage eluded the Irish on the hardwood. Until 2001. After reaching at least the Sweet 16 in three of five years, and seeing several stars suffer tough injuries, the Irish broke through. Current coach Niele Ivey had suffered two torn ACLs, while other stars like Ruth Riley had also struggled to stay on the court. However, in 2001, the senior-laden Irish were ready to roll and dominated the regular season, with just two losses. After cruising through the early stages of the NCAA Tournament, the Irish faced some major adversity. They went down by 15 points in the Final Four, and Ivey played through a sprained ankle to lead a big comeback. Against Purdue in the title, the Irish again trailed by over ten points and they were down by eight with 12 minutes to play. They clawed their way back and took the title on a pair of Riley free throws with five seconds on the clock. The timing of the championship was key for the Irish, who had been struggling in football, where they were traditional powerhouses. The reaction from the South Bend community — mobbing Main Circle, both students and locals alike — really proved the significance of this championship.
1. Notre Dame Football’s 1988 season This one brings so many fond memories to Irish fans. Their last national championship in football, the Irish made sure the ’88 season was an absolute classic. The season featured a host of highlights, starting with a 19-17 victory over No. 9 Michigan, as the Irish claimed a victory in the rivalry series. With a 5-0 record, the fourth-ranked Irish took on No. 1 Miami, in a game that earned that rivalry series the name of “Catholics vs. Convicts.” Notre Dame won a heated and testy battle 31-30, putting them in a position to challenge for a national championship. ’88 was the prime of the Lou Holtz era, and they proved it with four top-10 wins that season. After dominating three more opponents, the Irish went on the road and slammed No. 2 USC 27-10. That made for three major rivalry wins for the Irish, leaving them a Fiesta Bowl victory away from the title. There, the Irish made quick work of No. 3 West Virginia, jumping out to a huge advantage early on and cruising to a 34-21 victory. Soon, maybe the Irish will claim another title on the gridiron and the ’88 season will no longer be the top memory in Irish history, but for now, this amazing season remains a great memory and an alltime classic. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Observer 55th Anniversary
Top 10 moments in Irish sports history, from National Championships to the Olympics By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Writer
Irish graduate student Yared Nuguse pushes to the front of the pack in the Joe Piane Invitational at Burke Golf Course on Oct. 4, 2019. Nuguse qualified for the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 1500m race.
Notre Dame has a proud history in athletics. As we ref lect on the 55-year anniversary of the Observer, virtually every sport could merit its own list of historical top 10 moments. From national championships to droughtbreaking wins, to heroic individual performances, Notre Dame has left a shamrockshaped stamp on the history of collegiate sports. So we’re here to celebrate the 55 years of the Observer with the top 10 moments of Notre Dame athletics in those five-and-ahalf decades. Creating this list was certainly an interesting task, as separating a bev y of praiseworthy accomplishments was incredibly difficult. National championships had to be weighted at a certain level, as did upsets. However, not every moment here is a championship-winning effort - some just were
Football
Women’s Soccer
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish offensive line continues to improve By EMILY DEFAZIO
Before they even stepped foot on the field as a collective unit, the Notre Dame offensive line was regarded as one of the team’s weak links. Starting in the spring, all eyes were on the group that sought to replace the majority of its members from, including NFL draftees Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks and Robert Hainsey. The season did not start off well for the offensive line, as defenses plowed through their formation with little resistance. With a largely immobile quarterback in graduate student Jack Coan (although after a 21-yard rushing touchdown run against UNC, this definition may need to change a little), protecting the pocket was of the utmost importance. However, there never seemed to be a pocket for Coan to utilize, as the protection was dismantled within moments of the snap. The offensive line has now gone
ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer
see O-LINE PAGE 14
Irish senior offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson seeks to block Toledo defenders in the Sept. 11 home matchup against the Rockets.
see TOP TEN PAGE 15
Team falls in ACC Quarterfinals Observer Sports Staff
Associate Sports Editor
incredibly historic moments from a specific program, while others produced thrilling memories that captured the attention of the Notre Dame fanbase. As we get into the list, a few honorable mentions are worth noting, as creating a top 10 list was impossible to accomplish without first considering the efforts that just missed this list. Such performances include the 1966 football National Championship, the men’s basketball team reaching back-to-back Elite Eights — coupled with an ACC title — in 2015 and 2016, and Cal Peterson setting an NCA Arecord 87 saves in an eventual five-overtime loss and the famous Joe Montana Chicken Soup Game, in which the Irish claimed the 1979 Cotton Bowl on the shoulders of their ill quarterback. Finishing just off the list was the 2010 women’s
Notre Dame women’s soccer bowed out of the ACC tournament on Sunday night, falling to Clemson 3-2 at Alumni Stadium. Needless to say, the performance from the Irish was far from their best on the year. From start to finish, the Irish looked overmatched and tired. Clemson struck first and early, taking the lead in just the twelfth minute when forward Caroline Conti burst down the wing and slotted the ball away near post at a tight angle. A little over ten minutes later, the Tigers would strike again, this time with midfielder Megan Bornkamp powering a half volley across the face of goal into the back of the net. A Notre Dame side seemingly caught flat-footed wouldn’t respond until just before halftime, when a long through ball by junior midfielder Maddie Mercado found the run of freshman midfielder Korbin Albert, who evaded Clemson goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff and tapped the ball into an empty net. That Albert chance
would be Notre Dame’s first and only shot on target of the half. The dearth of chances would continue into the second half when the Tigers once again extended their lead, this time through Makenna Morris. After a dispossession in the Irish box, Clemson was able to line up a prime chance, and while some good team defense prevented an immediate shot from emerging, eventually the ball made its way to Morris who made no mistake rocketing the ball into the top corner. The Irish would again pull within one when graduate student midfielder Sammi Fisher was brought down in the box in the eightieth minute and subsequently put home the ensuing penalty kick. Ultimately, the Fisher goal and collection of half-chances that would emerge for the home side as they pulled out all the stops to equalize wouldn’t be enough. A free kick in the final minute just inside the box, awarded after Hancuff was whistled by the referee for see W SOCCER PAGE 14